In A Galaxy That Never Was
by Zeff N Company
Summary: KH meets Star Wars IV: Once again, the story is told of the princess' call for help, a boy's journey to become a Keyblade Master, and a new hope for the struggle against Organization XIII. May the Key guide you.
1. Chapter 1

_Think of this as it is: a fairy tale._

_You found this text sitting quite innocently on Merlin's shelf, tucked between the book which is home to Winnie the Pooh and the unusually thick, magicked novel which is home to the Iliad and the Arthurian Legend – the latter of which the old wizard refuses to loan to you; at least, not until both groups of characters from starkly contrasting cultures can calmly set aside their differences and get along. This one, though, appears quite harmless, and you are assured that no, this one won't take you into another world and force you through some strange and mildly awkward task before you can get home._

_This is a tale of a universe far, far away, of a galaxy that never was. You do not hear the explosions of colliding firepower, and no one can blame you for it. In a universe like this, all people are ruled by technological prowess, by the capability of their machinery to keep them alive in their harsh environments. It is in a galaxy like this, filled with people who would sooner trust their machines and weapons to do the talking for them than their own voices, that conflict is inevitable. That the war you are about to witness is inevitable._

_Place yourself in this story, and become part of it. All that you know of this world you stay in – images of your allies and enemies, of beloved friends and family – join you as you fit each image into its place next to a new character role. For a moment, the tiniest of moments, allow imagination to take over, giving these faces you knew their own chance to imagine, to become these new characters for the tale you are soon to behold._

_Now, allow us to move on, and enter the current scene…_

* * *

At its highest point in the sky, the sun burned down mercilessly upon the vast desert of Agrabah. Shelter was not rare here, but dangerous to procure, for they were the homes of the desert's native dwellers, creatures highly adapted to their climate.

"For the last time, get _OUT_!"

With a solid but muffled explosive noise, a cloud of dust and sand was spat roughly from one of the many sand dunes, revealed the entrance to a cave. Amidst the cloud, a small blackened form bounced and rolled on the hot sand, squeaking and jabbering as it did. After a few brief seconds of the clumsy activity, it managed to regain itself and shot upward, spreading its leathery wings as it gained altitude. Clear of the dust cloud, it hovered under the sun, unbothered by the heat.

As the dust continued to pour from its previous container, a coughing teenager poked his head out of the opening, waving his hand madly in front of his face in a desperate attempt to clear the air he needed to breathe. He continued to cough until the air settled at last, before leveling a glare at the creature watching him from above. The flying critter did not take kindly to being evicted from its home, and started to jabber angrily at the intruder who so effectively kicked it out.

Unimpressed by the single beast, the youth stepped fully out of the cave. Squinting against the harsh sunlight, he found a good, weighty bit of ammunition off the ground. This he flung forward, watching it disappear into the too-bright blur of white ahead. Despite his handicap, the rock he used still came close enough to the cowardly creature, and it zipped away without a further word of insult.

Satisfied, the boy turned and ducked back into the cave, calling out, "Hey! What's taking so long? … Hello?"

No answer was returned. The youth crouched, the ceiling too low for him, as he inched his way carefully back into the darker depths. Then he found what he was looking for, though not in the state he had hoped. Greeted by a pile of metal and synthetic fibers that crackled and sparked, he slumped his shoulders with a depressed groan.

"Not another one…" he moaned. "Al's gonna be mad…!"

Unexpectedly, there was a loud boom through the air. Perking up at once, the boy shuffled backwards until he reached the cave opening, stumbling and flailing for purchase until he ultimately landed on his butt, barely avoiding a back flip as he lay arched on the slop of the dune. He flinched, reaching up to shield his eyes from the sunlight, when a different sort of sparkle caught his eye. Looking more carefully around his hand, he saw it again. Bright flashes like stars twinkled, flickered, appeared and reappeared.

"… What's _that_?" he wondered aloud.

* * *

Beyond the skies of Agrabah, out in space itself, a fierce exchange of gunfire was in session. A Gummi Ship darted and weaved as best it could, firing backward at its pursuer. Dwarfing it was a monstrously larger Ship, pelting it with wave after wave of bright red bolts. Despite the smaller vessel's valiant efforts to evade the assault, its main fin disintegrated in a mass of light and smoke.

Within the attacked ship, the explosion rocked and jostled its occupants about. Initially running down the hull at top speed, a girl clad in stealth gear yelped at the sudden turbulence, barely saving herself from a painful collision with the nearby wall. One of the ship's crew behind her was not as lucky, connecting with a loud "clang" before dropping unconscious. As another blast shook the ship bodily, the girl dropped to the ground and covered her head.

"There goes the main reactor," she muttered, her tone thick with dread.

All about her, the armed escorts were running for the entrance, taking up positions with their weapons ready. Despite their efforts, the obvious was presented to them all: they were outnumbered, outgunned, and soon to be outlived.

"This is it," the girl declared somberly, "we're doomed."

There was another lurch, this one surprisingly gentle compared to the others. It was followed quickly by a muffled series of metallic chimes, the hull creaking above their heads from a sudden external pressure.

"They've grabbed us! Ready yourselves!" the leader called. Then, turning to the girl, "You, android – return to the princess!"

Saluting once, the girl obeyed the command by pushing off the ground and squeezing through the crowd, muttering phrases of "excuse me", "pardon me", "watch your head", "your boot's untied" and so on. As she hopped over a final armed man and ducked into one of the corridors, the sealed entrance seemed to glow with light. Quite suddenly, it exploded into a shower of debris, and from the rising smoke gray, featureless beings slipped forward with serpentine grace. The escorts opened fire at once, the first shots taking down a few of the slower creatures. The faster ones, however, repaid the assaults with their own.

As the fighting escalated, the girl continued to run down the dark passageway, her senses open to anything that might approach her from either side. She was not escaping; far from it, she was searching, seeking out the two that had not joined the others at the entrance: one was the princess, and the other…

"… Leon! Leonhart, where are you?!" she called. Her footsteps were halted with a screech as she spotted two silhouettes just ahead. Barely making out and recognizing who they were, she renewed her dash toward them. "There you are! Where have you been, you-"

She was quick to fall silent, her excitement giving way to confusion as she stared at the proceedings that became more visible under dim lighting.

Kneeling on the ground in a reverent manner was what appeared to be an adult male of tanned skin and toned muscle, dark brown hair brushing against his clothed shoulders. But at closer glance, the front of the same figure's chest was an opened panel, revealing a strange array of hardware within the cavity that should have been occupied by heart, lungs and bone. His eyes were glowing with icy blue light, slightly darker and barely visible lines of code skimming along their surface.

Standing before the panel was another girl. She was younger than the first, and unlike her was dressed in a regal set of robes with a hood over her head, attire more formal and befitting of nobility. In her hand was something thin and shining with reflected light, which she inserted into a thin horizontal gap in the metal surface. It accepted the object steadily and, as it disappeared, the pair of glowing orbs slowly dimmed, fading until they were normal, humanlike eyes of pale blue. As though waking from a trance, the figure furrowed his brows and dipped his head.

Closing the panel, the girl pushed it gently until it slid into place, seams thinning into invisibility. With the last trace of his true mechanical nature hidden, she reached up and touched his cheek, taking in his troubled countenance. Smiling softly, she lifted herself a little higher to wrap her arms about his neck in a hug. As she whispered something into his ear, his face relaxed, returning to an emotionless, blank expression.

The hooded girl let go and stepped back, and at once he rose to his feet. His head turned, bright eyes catching sight of the other girl in the corridor quickly. He strode toward her, then slightly pass her before snatching her by the waist and carrying her back the way she came. His surprised passenger blinked, and then suddenly noticed her new situation with a loud clamor.

"Leon, wait a minute! Where are we going? You forgot the princess! You're not supposed to forget the princess! _What's going on, you giant walking war machine?!_ _Put me down and explain yourself! HEY!!_"

The steps did not falter, continuing a steady, determined stride toward an unseen destination. As they disappeared from sight, the hooded girl who remained watched after them silently. At last, she turned and ran in an opposite direction, a different pathway that would hopefully put some distance between herself and the attackers. As she reemerged in the main hallway, she realized too late that her effort had been in vain. There was a low warble of garbled voices before a blur of gray swooped over her.

The pair continued unhindered down the hallway, the attacking force yet to reach this deep into the ship. Reaching a hatch, the one identified as "Leon" finally dropped the girl unceremoniously upon the hard floor, his hands wrapping around a long bar. He twisted it clockwise with a sudden jerk, popping the seal with a hiss of air and a red, frequent flashing of light from an overhead bulb. The hatch drew open slowly, and Leon grabbed the girl again before tossing her in.

"Watch it, you big bully!" she protested, though easily rolling back onto the balls of her feet and looking no worse for wear.

Without a comment or apology, he continued down the row, working on panel after panel. With steady drones and rushes of air, escape pods jettisoned into space one by one. With one unpleasant task done with, Leon returned to the first pod and stepped in beside her. Without a pause, he yanked the hatch shut behind them. Staring numbly at the sealed door, she paused.

"… You're serious?"

He did not answer, focused instead on manning the pilot's seat. With a lurch, the pod pulled free from its place and dove for the planet below. With the Gummi Ship left far behind, the girl straightened, looking from her companion to the vessel that was further and further away with each passing moment. She did not notice until a loud bang sounded to the side, prompting her to jump backward, bumping into the side of the already cramped space.

Fist still curled tautly, Leon did not draw it back from where he nearly dented the tough hull of the escape pod. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the barest grinding could be heard. Though the girl could not see his new expression, his tense body language was readable.

Wisely, she left him alone, staring at his back as the pod continued its approach toward Agrabah.

* * *

The fight was finished, the very echoes of weapon fire long gone. The gray beings continued to quiver about, searching the ship for anything that might have escaped their notice. A new set of footsteps approached, getting closer to the broken doorway. Then, at last, the source stepped into the ship. He was a tall, imposing figure, with a black coat that was drawn close at his front and a hood hiding his face entirely. He appeared unarmed, but carried himself nonetheless with the imposing air.

As he stepped forward, the gray beings moved out of his way, all save for one that seemed cautious in its approach. Only when the hooded figure raised his hand in a permissive gesture did the creature float to his side. Its words were garbled, but its message was understood nonetheless.

"The plans must be hidden on one of those pods. Investigate them immediately," he answered with an order. Then, "Have you found their leader?"

The gray being warbled something more in reply. Hearing the words, the figure nodded once and the creature hastily left his side. It led the way, its master stepping over the bodies of enemy and comrade alike until they at last reached their destination.

Unconscious on the floor was the hooded girl, not far from where she had been spotted. Standing over her, the figure finally bent down just low enough to grab the edge of her hood and pull it back, away from her head. Short red hair was revealed, slightly rumpled from the rough handling, framing a delicate, heart-shaped face. The figure studied her for a moment more, his gloved hand leaving the cloth of her hood.

"So the rebels send children to do their work…" he commented, his voice rough and deep but void of tone; neither malice nor amusement. He straightened at last, ordering the creatures about him, "… Take her away."

* * *

It started as a small twinkle of light in the distance. Slowly, it grew in size, steadily getting larger as it plummeted out of the sky. There was a single, loud clap through the air as the escape pod punched a hapless and dune, burying itself halfway into the sand with a cloud of smoke and dust. Within the unintentional screen, the seal popped open a second time, hissing as it peeled away to grant its passengers' exit.

The girl was the first out, hopping from the entrance and landing a short distance away with catlike grace. Leon was a step behind her, though his movements were less dramatic. Unable to remain within the vicinity of such an obvious beacon for pursuers, Leon shot ahead in the direction of the desert rocky mesas, the girl following his lead with little hesitation. If they wanted to avoid recapture from whoever seized the ship, any direction was better than none.

"Leon," the girl called out, "exactly when were you planning to tell me what's going on?"

The one ahead did not pause for more than two seconds before picking up the pace. Glaring at his back, the girl sped forward, catching up easily before cutting in front of him and planting herself there. Hands on her hips, she leaned forward and pointed out firmly, "She's my princess too, you know!"

If nothing else, the words were what finally halted Leon's steps. He raised his head, looking at her properly before turning to look back at where they came from. By this time, the pod was no more than a barely visible source of smoke.

"We both know we're far enough," the girl added, "so come on: talk to me."

At first, Leon continued to remain silent, his brows furrowing again. When he did come to his decision and looked back at her, his lips remained tightly sealed. Instead, his right eye flickered with light, a strange series of high-pitched whirs, beeps and clicks escaping his throat.

"What are you doing _now_, idiot?" the girl yelped, her head darting left and right so fast it seemed threatened to snap with its speed. "You're not fooling anyone when you talk like that! Are you _trying_ to get us…" then one set of clicks caught her attention, and she refocused on him in an instant. "… What mission? What are you talking about?"

The other eye just started to glow as well, but before Leon could "say" anything more a blast of sickly green energy shot between them. Two more pelted down seconds after, the sand sizzling upon contact and causing the pair to jump apart. It was then that they noticed the small beings that approached them – shadowy beings with navy blue cloaks and purple hats.

"Oh, shoot! Fungus!" the girl identified with justified worry. "_Run for it!_"

As though sensing their panic, the beings fired anew, blasting beam after beam of energy at them as they closed in.

Far from their location, uncaring for the commotion, a pair of gray beings flitted above the downed pod, circling the smoldering vessel over and over. One of them suddenly dipped, coming closer to the sand. It garbled at its companion, waving a boneless limb over the footprints yet to disappear. Both flew after the trail, closing in on the targets they were after, but by the time they reached the site of the most recent action, there was nothing left to see but dark green smoke hissing from the sand, and a mess of tracks detailing the struggle that had occurred.

* * *

At the entrance to Agrabah's capital, home of its ruling sultan, rested a transport the size of a small house. Milling about it were more little beings, fiddling with buttons and yanking at switches. In a moment, giant doors had pulled away to reveal its dark interior. In a series of chattering, the beings escorted their cargo out into the sunlight. Each one was a being of torn synthetic skin and revealed metal pieces, some with flickering eyes and others moving more stiffly and robotically than others. Once, when they were in much better condition, they could have passed for human.

One of the beings – this one with a white robe and a puffy red hat – paused in its work, cocking its head inquisitively as it looked out into the distance. In the shimmering heat of midday, the earlier scouting group of Black Fungus floated toward it, laden with their newly acquired cargo. When they got close enough, said cargo was deposited upon the desert floor with little grace.

"**{New stock?}**" the white robed one asked, earning a delighted cackle from one of the scouts.

"**{**_**Good**_** stock!}**" the black robed declared with emphasis, obviously quite pleased with itself. The white one, however, seemed highly unimpressed as it surveyed the pair lying there.

"**{This one is obviously damaged. We'll be expected to cut the price,}**" it stated, pointing a clothed limb at the taller one's face, where a deep scar cut down just above the nose. Nonetheless, it seemed satisfied that both otherwise looked functional, and waved over more white robed companions. "**{Hurry to get them ready. Don't keep our customer waiting.}**"

Chortling with understanding, the beings got to work, fitting them with a tarnished disk each and brushing them down. With a few unanimous nods amongst themselves, they hustled the pair into line with the rest of their wares. As a final measure, each one was given a good hard whack to their heads before the beings moved on at last. The girl woke up with a start and recognized their new predicament at once.

"This is all your fault!" she snapped, kicking her companion in the shin. "Look where your dumb beeping got us – back in the Forced Aid for Unemployment line!"

Slower to recover, Leon raised a brow and his right eye flickered again. More beeping was emitted, either to annoy her or simply because he was too stubborn to do otherwise.

"… Well, it sounds a fat lot better than 'stolen for sale'…!"

Meanwhile, just ahead, one of the white robed beings was exchanging words with a local of the city, waving its limbs and spouting an animated sales pitch of sorts in its queer, unintelligible language as it led the customer toward the line. The girl perked up as she noticed the young man stop in front of her, looking quite pleased to see something of reasonable quality amidst the more severely battered refuse.

"What's your function, kiddo?"

With her most winning smile in place, the girl bounced to her feet and saluted cheerily. "First Class Ninja, sir! You won't find a better one anywhere on this lump of dirt!"

"You any good at tracking?"

"Sure am!"

The man's smile widened into a pleased grin and he pointed her way. "I'll take this one," he informed the much smaller being beside him. Then, looking back down the crowd, he moved on, "I'll probably need a new Genie as well…"

Stepping out of the line to follow her new employer, the girl looked back at where her companion remained sitting on the dusty ground and staring listlessly at his feet. Before she could call his attention, a steady whoosh of air sounded from a distance away. Approaching them was a hover bike – one of the locally produced Magic Carpet models, from the look of it. Clambering off the seat, a teenager with a head of thoroughly mussed brown spikes jogged up to where they were.

"Hey, Al!"

"Sora, you're just in time!" her employer replied in greeting. "The White Mushrooms have some decent stuff for once- Wait a second. Where's my Bandit?"

"Uh… well…" the youth "Sora" twiddled his thumbs uncertainly as he spoke, "… you see, your Bandit's kinda… no longer."

"No longer what?"

"In existence."

"Not another one!" Al cried out in exasperation. "That Bandit was the best fighter I had, and you wasted it?!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"… Say Boss," the girl interrupted conveniently. With a sly grin, she pointed back at where her companion still sat. "If you want a hardy fighter, I highly recommend that one."

Both Al and Sora looked over skeptically at the unmoving figure. To their credit, Leon was not doing much to warrant attention.

"Are you sure?"

"He's a SeeD!" the girl declared, her head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. "SeeDs can walk off anything!"

Sora's eyes widened as he looked their subject over with a whole new light. "That's a SeeD? … What happened to his head?"

"Just an old scar, really. All part and parcel of being a cyborg," she assured. "It won't be a bother at all."

Intrigued, Sora looked back at the taller man beside him. "Hey, Al, could you…?"

"… So long as you pay me back, I guess," Al conceded. "As long as you're blowing up fighters, you might as well blow up your own. Hey!" Calling the attention of another White Mushroom, he pointed back at the seated figure. "We'll take that one, too."

With a big grin on his face, Sora jogged back toward where his newly acquired fighter was being nudged to his feet. "Thanks, Al!"

"For that, _and_ for my Bandit!" Al called back in reminder. "Don't forget that!"

Leon, meanwhile, was surprised to find himself shoved out of the line. It did not last as he found himself standing before his smug companion.

"You owe me _big time_," she uttered gleefully, earning a glare in return.

"This way, guys. Come on," Sora called, beckoning them to follow him as Al remained behind to talk price. While negotiations went on, he brought them far enough without completely leaving sight and impatiently waved at Leon. Disgruntled, the taller figure followed the condescending order to sit down, giving the shorter teen better access to him. His companion, however, was a lot more grateful.

"Thanks for the save, sir!" she piped jovially, slapping dust off her stealth suit with wide swings. "You won't regret this!"

"Sora's fine," the boy answered. "I don't care for 'sir'."

"Whatever you say, Boss!" she replied cheerfully before introducing herself. "The Great Ninja Yuffie, at your service! Mr. Grumpy here has a fancy name, but we just call him Leon."

"Leon, huh?" Sora tried the name on his tongue before looking a little more closely at his newly acquired SeeD, specifically at the aged line on his face. "I've never seen an actual cyborg before, never mind a SeeD like you. Where'd you get your scar from?"

"I'd say it was one of his oldest badges of honor, if not his first," Yuffie answered for the other. "He already had it when we first met before the War."

Sora's expression brightened with interest. "You two were in the War? In real battles with fighting in space and exploding ships and everything?"

"How else do you think we ended up here?"

"How old are you?"

"Hey!" she protested playfully, wagging a finger in disapproval. "You may be my boss, but that don't mean you get to question a lady's age!"

Smiling in good humor, Sora went back to examining Leon. The SeeD did not flinch as his left eye was probed at with careful fingers, but then the right flickered intensively with a series of whirrs and clicks. The boy blinked, having not expected that to happen.

"Come again?"

"He asked you not to do that," Yuffie translated. The fingers promptly pulled away from the SeeD's face with an added apology.

"What's wrong with your speech synthesizer?" Sora asked instead, despite the fact that the other could not really answer him. As he reached this time for Leon's throat, the SeeD furrowed his brows and reached up to intercept the hand. The boy backed off. "Right, no touching."

"Sora, let's go!" Al called, the transaction at last complete. Behind him, the whining but marginally satisfied traders prepared to take their leave, marching the remaining wares back into their transport.

"Coming!" Sora called back. Returning his attention to the two by his side, he motioned for Leon to get up again. "I've got tools back at Al's place. We'll fix that problem in no time."

* * *

Fixing the problem turned out to be a lot harder than Sora had initially expected. Leon was of no help, unwilling to cooperate and even more adamant against being poked and probed. Lounging behind a reversed bench at the side, Yuffie glared reproachfully at the annoyingly stubborn SeeD as the boy was forced to give up yet and try something else yet again.

"You are such a baby," she scolded. When he elicited a growling whir back in her direction, she retorted, "And _you're_ supposed to be the well-behaved one!"

Leon was about to fire back a biting if unintelligible remark in binary when he froze at the feel of an intrusive finger poking him in the back of his neck. Although Sora had missed deactivating him, the digit was nonetheless rather cold and distressingly uncomfortable.

"… Shouldn't there be a button or something back here?" Sora queried out loud, frustrated by his lack of success thus far. "There's gotta be a blockage or a break in there somewhere, so if I could just find the catch-"

Then his thumb slipped into a depression and something clicked.

At once, an explosion of silver light erupted from the depths of Leon's left eye, sweeping through the confines of the room with blinding intensity for a few fleeting seconds. Then it dimmed as quickly as it had flashed into existence, and a thinner, calmer beam appeared, fanning out until it formed a twelve-inch, three-dimensional hologram of a young lady in robes, a hood over her head and obscuring her features. Yuffie jumped up at once in alarmed recognition.

"The p-!" she barely stopped herself in time, though still too late.

"The what?" Sora asked, circling around Leon as he eyed the hologram with curious fascination.

"Uh…"

"**------Ven-------Lord Vent-------elp----us-----**" a chipped voice called through static, the words moving Leon's lips as he relayed bits and pieces over and over again despite a failure to bring even a full sentence forward.

"What _is_ that, Yuffie?" Sora asked more insistently, not noticing the nervous fidget in the Ninja's fingers.

"It's… uhm… it's nothing, Boss. It's just a malfunction. Old data! Nothing of importance."

"… Oh…" – Then, his growing curiosity finally getting the best of him, he reached for Leon again – "… Is there more to this recording?"

Despite his maintained review of the poor sample, Leon's right eye widened apprehensively. Light flickered from it almost frantically as he proceeded to let loose a string of pitched squeaks and whistles. Sora paused, tilting his head.

"… What?"

"He says… uh…" Yuffie translated carefully, eying her counterpart uncertainly as she spoke, "He says that this particular recording is the property of Ventus, a resident of these parts. It's a private message that hasn't reached him yet."

Sora paused, a light of recognition in his eyes. "… Ventus? Does he mean Master Ven?"

"You know him, Boss?"

"Not anyone by the name of Ventus," Sora explained, "but there is a desert shaman who lives in the Cave of Wonders, beyond the dune sea. We all just call him Master Ven."

Leon's expression calmed, softening as he appeared in deep thought. Then, his right eye flickered again, directing a few beeps at the youth.

"He says the restraining bolt is interfering with his recording system. He suggests that if you remove it, he should be able to play it back in full and a lot more clearly."

Sora considered this for a moment, his eyes unable to leave the image of the girl. Slowly his hand moved again, though this time not toward Leon but instead toward the messy pile of tools. His fingers snatched up a dark metal wedge and placed it near the underside of the bolt sticking out of Leon's chest. He paused there, looking up at Leon's clear right eye.

"I'm trusting you, alright?"

And then the wedge nudged under the bolt and popped it free. In an instant, the hologram flickered and vanished, Leon's left eye dimming of its light and returning to normal. His mouth fell shut and stayed that way.

"… Hey, wait a minute, where is she?" Sora protested, setting the bar back in the pile. "Come on, bring her back! Where's the entire recording?"

Leon raised his brows innocently, as though not understanding what the teen was talking about. Frustrated, Sora started to go for his neck again when the old communicator on the nearby workbench flashed with light, diverting the youth's attention to it instead. With an irritated noise grinding in his throat, he mashed the button to receive the message with more force than necessary. Listening to the chipped words, he forced himself to calm down and gave his answer.

"Alright, I'll be right there."

Setting the communicator back down, he released another deep breath audibly and walked away from the pair. As he went up the flight of stairs and shut the hatch door behind him, Yuffie hopped over the backrest and took up Sora's former seat.

"Was that it? Was that the mission?" When his silence answered for him, she probed further, "Is that why-?"

Leon turned away, reaching for the bar that had been so conveniently left behind. Holding it up, he lined it under Yuffie's restraining bolt and started to push.

By the time Sora returned, the pair were nowhere in sight. The two discarded restraining bolts were kicked by his boots, rolling and bumping under the workbench.

"Those blasted… where did they-? Of course, Master Ven…! I should have known!"

Swiping up his discarded utility belt, the boy turned and ran back upstairs.

* * *

By now, the sun was much lower as it started to set, the once bright bluish white of the sky slowly darkening with shades of red and purple. Sora's Magic Carpet flew across the desert at top speed, arcing to climb up a sand dune facing the rocky mesas. As it reached the top, it slowed to a bumpy stop, settling at last near one of the many nest caves. Straightening in the hover bike's saddle but awkwardly bumping against a long plasma carbine slung at his side, Sora pulled a pair of binoculars free from his utility belt and scanned the surrounding area. He found nothing.

"… I must have missed them," he muttered aloud in his frustration, "they can't possibly move that…" he paused, finding something dead in his sights, "… fast. Oh no."

Jamming the binoculars back into place, he started up the hover bike again and took off, speeding away as fast as he could. Flapping in the air behind him, steadily gaining on him with every beat of their wings, was a swarm of Air Soldiers. The one in lead – the same one that Sora had offended earlier in the day – shrilled fiercely and lead the others in a swoop. As they got closer, it shrieked and swiped at the boy's head, barely missing.

"Hey, _you_ started it!" Sora protested while ducking a second attack. The creature retorted in its own pitched language as it tried again and again. While they kept pace, both the engine of the machine and the strength of the creature's wings were starting to show signs of strain. Growling, Sora retaliated with a punch of his own. "_Just leave me alone!_"

The hit missed its mark, but it forced the Air Soldier to back away and lose time between them. Taking the opportunity, Sora pushed the Magic Carpet's limits, forcing it to clear as much distance as it could between himself and the closing predators. One was easy enough to deal with, but he just did not have the firepower to go against an entire swarm. The hover bike hissed and sparked, its momentary burst of speed compromising its overall power. Forced to a halt as the internal battery overheated, Sora pulled the carbine into his hands and took aim.

Then it was yanked completely out of his grasp with a force violent enough to snap the leather sling.

"You're not holding it right!" Yuffie snapped at him. Taking aim herself, she grounded herself and let loose a blast of deadly plasma energy. Missing the swarm's leader, it instead connected with the next two, leading to a domino effect as the ones behind slapped and collided into one another as a result of the sudden halt. Taking advantage of their sudden loss, she took aim a second time and fired into the confused mass again.

Coming up from the other side, Leon tapped Sora on the shoulder to gain his attention. Extending a palm, his right eye flickered in request.

"You want a weapon, too?" Sora guessed. Scanning his utility belt, he finally pulled out his best option. "All I've got is this hunting knife-!"

Staring at it for a second, Leon quickly turned in time to catch an attacking Air Soldier by its head. Squeezing his grip, he instead turned his body sideways and tossed it back the way it came, knocking more of the creatures from the air. Looking back at Sora, he reached down and repositioned the hunting knife in the teen's grip before wrapping the fingers a little more tightly around it. Yet, even as he readied to fight a difficult enemy with bare hands, the unexpected happened.

"They're holding back," Yuffie noted, the rifle still held high in her hands. "That's not a good sign."

That was when the shadow fell over them, spreading further and further as the creature massive enough to cast it got closer. There was a strange but definite lull, and then Sora realized he was being pulled from his seat just as the hover bike disappeared in a shower of debris, gravel and sand. The clawed talons that planted over the wreckage of the mechanical mount crushed it to fine dust as the Wyvern growled deeply. The beast shifted, striking up wind all about it as it shot into the air again. Flanking it from the sides were the Air Soldiers, though none dared interfere in the attack.

Leon set Sora back on his feet, the hand on the boy's shoulder pushing him backward. His right eye flickered again, a few short clicks reaching the boy's ears.

"… What did he say?"

Yuffie lifted the rifle again as she answered: "He said, _run_."

With the word, Leon shoved the boy back even harder as the plasma carbine fired at the beast above their heads. The first shot was repelled, then the second, and then the Wyvern launched itself forward again. Though not taking the full impact of the beast's ramming power, both Ninja and SeeD were thrown against the rocks. The rifle clattered to the ground below, now more a twisted bar than a weapon. The watching Soldiers jabbered gleefully as the Wyvern renewed its sights on the remaining boy. Rooted to the ground, Sora stared like a deer in headlights as the monster roared. It took to the air again, gaining height for the power of its next attack. And then it was swooping down, moving so very, very fast. Its huge talons were poised, arched to seize their prey, to crush him…

Sora suddenly felt the prickling sensation of hairs standing on end when a line of white light zigzagged over his head and connected with the center of the Wyvern's chest. It roared and fell backward, barely catching itself before it hit the ground. A second bolt danced forth, assaulting the exact same location to send the creature reeling. By the third strike, it was lolling in pain and fear. The attacks stopped as suddenly as they started, and the Wyvern leapt into the air and fled hastily. Left behind, the swarm of Air Soldiers took a second longer to realize the change in circumstances before scattering as well, dispersing every way.

Just like that, the sky cleared again, leaving little trace of the attacks that had occurred. Sora dared to look up, and found himself looking upon what appeared to be a giant key of dark gray. Quite suddenly, it shattered into nonexistence, leaving only an empty hand that drew back out of sight. The boy hastened to turn, finally taking in the sight of the cloaked figure standing behind him. Hands drew the hood back to reveal a man in his twenties, his face cracked and weathered by the desert's harsh conditions. Although his hair, like Sora's, was spiked in a boyish manner, his trimmed beard caused him to seem older and wiser. Sora's expression brightened as he recognized the man immediately.

"Master Ven," he greeted respectfully, though the excited grin was hard to keep from his face. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

With a crackle of rock, Leon and Yuffie started to rise, both severely battered but otherwise mostly intact. Looking them both over, the man huffed in amusement.

"Seems like you've had a busy day, kid," he commented. Extending a hand, he helped Sora to his feet. "So tell me, Sora: what brings you out this far into these wastelands?"

"Well, it's this SeeD," Sora explaining, pointing back at where Leon remained bent over with his hands on his knees. "I turned my back on him for one second and he just took off – him and Al's new Ninja over there. Anyway, he's pretty driven to get his job done, says he has a private message to give to someone called Ventus. Do you know who he's talking about, sir?"

The desert shaman raised his head, meeting gazes with the cyborg. Finally, he was the one to break the gaze as he looked into the distance with a resigned air. "… I haven't heard that name in a long time."

"So you do know him?"

"Know him?" Master Ven broke off with a chuckle, "I _am_ him."

A familiar roar echoed in the distance, reminding the group of the dangers present in their immediate surroundings. Sobering, the shaman beckoned the group to follow.

"Let's continue this discussion at a safer place. Thunder does not work as well on those Wyverns once the element of surprise has worn off."

* * *

Despite his familiarity with Master Ven, Sora had never been inside the legendary Cave of Wonders before. There had been many tales about the place circulating in the city: some said it was a place filled with an abundance of treasure, more than you could ever carry. Some said it was the home of the greatest treasure of all – an ancient artifact of immense power, able to grant the wish of any man. Others said it was the tomb of wicked men, and any who entered it would never come back alive.

In truth, the Cave of Wonders was just an ordinary cave – albeit one with a giant tiger's head carved in stone for an entrance – filled with all sorts of strange junk that the shaman had collected over time. Despite its clutter, it still had that warm, comforting security about it, as one would expect from an established sanctuary. Despite all the rumors, the Cave of Wonders was a home.

Upon entering the Cave for the first time, Sora found himself drawn to the many different trinkets that lay in piles all over the place. As Master Ven made himself busy with overseeing the other two for the damages they had sustained earlier, the boy wandered about the living space, examining anything that caught his eye: there were colored glass baubles that seemed to hum upon contact with skin, an ugly looking ring with carved images and runes on its surfaces that simply screamed "cursed", a yellow rubber bird that looked a little like an outlandish species of giant chicken and so on…

Then, he found himself picking up an old wooden sword. It was a simple toy, crudely put together through a child's workmanship, and it barely resembled a weapon at all. Yet, as Sora held it in one hand, he was surprised at how small it seemed in his grasp, at how… familiar it felt.

That was when the connection was made.

"Master Ven?" he asked, waving the toy in mock play, "Why do you have Riku's sword?"

"Ah, so you remember your childhood friend," the shaman commented.

"I could never forget him," Sora insisted. The wood was held up to the dim lighting, allowing the boy to better examine the dark lines of wood grain. "We always played together, ever since we were just babies. Then all of a sudden he was sent away to study at some interstellar academy and never came back. Guess this backwater world got too small for him or something… but you already know that, don't you sir?"

"Yes, I do know," Master Ven agreed. "But what I know is the truth. What you know is what was told to you, to stop you from following the steps he took."

Confused, Sora lowered the toy and looked at the older man. "What do you mean?"

"Your friend Riku never went to any academy ten years ago," the shaman explained, his tone solemn, "but was selected to take the path of a Keyblade Master."

The wood blade was set down, the boy's interest piqued as he approached the older man. "A Keyblade Master?"

Sensing the lengthy discussion that was about to take place, Leon reached over to Yuffie and probed the back of her neck, shutting her down to allow her systems to fully restore themselves. He, on the other hand, sat and listened to them attentively, not as willing to rest until he did his duty. Leaving him be, the shaman sat back and looked fully at the eager youth before him.

"The Keyblade is a most unique and powerful weapon." – in a flash, Master Ven's weapon materialized once more in his hand – "It is more than something to strike others with – it is, in fact, the very channel of the Light or the Darkness, according to its origin and source. Unlike conventional tools that you may choose to carry, it is always the Keyblade that chooses its Wielder. Only those of the strongest will can wield a Keyblade, and only the one with the strongest heart can become a Keyblade Master.

"There is an old prophecy amongst the Wielders," he went on, "that speaks of one special Keyblade Master who will wield a Keyblade unlike any other. According to this prophecy, the chosen Master will either save the worlds… or plunge them into chaos and destruction. There are too many interpretations to determine which is more true, but for years Wielders and Masters alike had dedicated themselves to finding this chosen one."

"And Riku?" Sora interrupted, having made the connection quickly, "When he took that path, did he…?"

Master Ven paused, looking at the earnest, still innocent face. Finally, with a tired sigh, he gave his answer: "While he had far greater potential than many others, your friend was… lost."

"… what…?"

"I mentioned before that there are Wielders empowered by the Darkness. There is one such Wielder named Ansem, who was a fellow apprentice studying with me. He succumbed to the Darkness in his heart and allied himself with the Organization, turning against us and using his power to slay any who opposed him and his crazed ambitions. Young Riku was one of his first victims, and those who survived the bloodshed are now few and far between."

The color drained from Sora's face as he slowly sank to the floor. Shaking, he brought a hand up and covered part of his face, as though trying to physically block out the mental images that plagued him.

"… Not Riku…" he whispered hoarsely, "… He can't be…"

A callused hand rested on his shoulder, but it did little to help as Sora broke down.

"Not him…" the boy whimpered as tears fell. "… Not him…"

The hand squeezed gently, the shaman's head bowed as well, his countenance so gravely troubled.

"I'm sorry, kid…"

* * *

It was late into the night before Leon saw the desert shaman again. It had been a long day of danger and painful revelations, and it had left the man looking more haggard and aged when he returned.

"He's finally resting," Master Ven explained. "I fear that was perhaps too much for him to take in at once. Still, I understand there are other pressing matters at hand?" – The shaman approached the cyborg, his hand reaching around to the back of the neck – "Now, let's have a look at that message you're so determined to show me…"

Before contact could be made, Leon's left eye glowed silver and flashed brightly, bringing forth the hologram he had unintentionally shown to Sora earlier. The light of recognition in his eyes, Master Ven sat down, his gaze never leaving the tiny figure.

"**Lord Ventus,**" a much clearer voice spoke through Leon, "**Years ago you became a hero to us all in the Keyblade War. Now, we beg of you to help us once again in our fight against Ansem and Organization XIII. Forgive me, my Lord, for not presenting this request to you in person, but my Gummi Ship has fallen under attack. I do not know how long I will live, but I fear I may never have the honor of meeting you. Please, my Lord, finish the work that I cannot.**

"**I have sent to you Leon and Yuffie, my most trusted aides. Each holds key information vital to the survival of the Rebel Alliance, and only Leon – the one I've charged with this message – is aware of this. My comrades in our last stronghold – Radiant Garden – will know how to retrieve the data, but only if they can be safely delivered there.**

"**Help us, Lord Ventus. You are our only hope.**"

With a final crackle of static, the transmission ended. As the silver light faded away, Master Ven reclined against the wall at his back. Fingers stroked his beard out of habit, his mind filled with thoughts on the next course of action.

"Thank you, Leon," he spoke at last. "It's time for you to get some rest as well. There's a long journey ahead of us."

Obediently, Leon closed his eyes and fell asleep, a function he was still biological enough to retain. In the silence of the cave, Master Ven heard the soft shift of cloth and responded accordingly: "You were listening, weren't you? How much did you hear?"

"Ansem's name and everything else afterward," Sora answered. He approached the older man, his eyes still red but burning with a new determination. "Let me come with you."

"Kid, I can't ask of-"

"I can't forgive Ansem for what he did," the boy went on forcefully. "And I refuse to ever help the Organization."

"Do you wish to kill him?"

"I want to stop him before more get hurt. It's what… It's what Riku would have done."

Master Ven regarded the youth before him for a long time. Then, he summoned his Keyblade again, holding it up. In a soft voice, he instructed: "Call it to you."

Sora was silent, not understanding.

"If you want to come with me to Radian Garden, then you must walk the path of the Keyblade Master," Master Ven explained. "Now, prove that you have what it takes. Call this Keyblade to you."

"… I don't know how," Sora replied.

"Picture yourself holding this blade. Concentrate… Focus… _Will_ it to be real."

Sora stared at the dark gray key, going over every line of it. He saw the callused hand of the shaman, saw how much experience lay in each line. He saw his own hand that was marked not by a life with a weapon but that with machinery, simple tools of transport. As he thought of the differences between them, he squeezed his hand into a fist and closed his eyes, pleading with the Keyblade to come to him, to grant him its power.

_I want the strength to defend. I want to become the protector that Riku should have been. Help me._

Then he felt his fist was holding something. He opened his eyes, and there in his hands was Master Ven's Keyblade. The shaman's own hand was a loose fist, his eyes shining with acknowledgment for had just transpired. Then, dismissed with the flair of a magician snapping his fingers, the Keyblade vanished once more.

"Prepare yourself in earnest," the man spoke. "We leave first thing in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

In the dark, fallen world of Hollow Bastion, a colossal castle towered above the lands below; lands that were filled with the many gray beings that served the Organization with utter devotion. In the castle's base level, its master – the man in his black coat – stood surrounded by a few of his minions. In his hand swirled an orb of indigo and obsidian mist, its center beholding the ghostly image of a creature. Soft warbles echoed from the communication medium, as the creature delivered its report.

"Find them," its master commanded. "We must have those plans."

The orb disappeared in a puff of smoke, the gloved fingers curling over the palm in their wake. Lowering his hand to his side, the hooded figure turned and strode down the corridor, flanked by his creatures on either side.

"**Lord Ansem,**" a second voice called to him. His steps halted, his palm opening again as the orb reformed in swirls of shadow. This time, the figure that appeared in its depths was definitely humanoid; another who wore the black coat, he sported the slighter build of a scholar instead of a warrior. Like the man he addressed, his hood was up to obscure his features.

"Speak."

"**The council is concerned over the progress of the search.**"

"One of the pods landed in Agrabah, and it was definitely carrying passengers," the man – Ansem – reported. "I have charged my scouts to hunt them down."

"**And the girl, Lord Ansem?**" the unidentified figure continued, "**What of this prisoner you took?**"

"She has been confined here for interrogation," Ansem answered. "I will oversee the entire procedure myself."

"**Holding her this long is dangerous,**" the figure warned.

"She is part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor to the Organization."

"**She is also a child, my Lord,**" the figure reminded. "**If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion among the masses. We cannot afford that inconvenience.**"

"Child or no, she is our only link to finding the rebels' hideout," Ansem countered. "That, in itself, is worth the risk."

The ghostly image within the orb shifted as the figure considered his point. Finally, "**… Understood, my Lord. I will inform the rest of the council.**"

Even before the orb could fully dissipate, the fist crushed its remnants in a tightened fist. Wisps of smoke lingered in his hand as he continued forward, the beings he commanded obediently following after. At the end of the corridor stood the door leading to the dungeon, heavy doors opening with low groans to grant the castle's master entrance.

The girl he had taken from the rebels' Gummi Ship was in a filthy state from the prior rough handling, her once white robes now gray with stains of rust brown and mossy green. Still, the clothes were merely rumpled and not badly torn, clear signs she had not been subjected to torture; at least, not yet. Overall, her condition was still healthy enough despite the conditions, and she sat upright as she glared defiantly at her captor. Ansem merely smiled maliciously and drew closer still, the doors pulling shut behind them.

"Princess Kairi. I _do_ apologize for keeping you waiting, your Highness," he drawled. His hand turned, conjuring dark energy to swirl about his fingers. "Now then, let us… _chat_…"

* * *

Sora was awakened by a rough shaking at his shoulder. Turning, he blearily registered two things: Firstly, this was not his room, and it was not his bed he had slept on that left him aching all over. Secondly, there was a man hovering over him with a hand still cupping his joint. More time was needed before the boy recognized the cyborg he had only recently acquired.

"Leon? What is it?"

In answer, Leon rested on his haunches and straightened his back. Silver light glowed in his left eye once again, though with a lot less grandeur than it did for Master Ven's message. There was no hologram either, but the lips still moved to form the words for a voice the boy knew very well.

"**Sora! Sora, are you there? Sora, this is Aladdin. Can you hear me?**"

At once the youth was fully awake and he sat up straight, the soreness in his body no longer a concern to him. "Al?!"

"**There's been trouble here. The Organization's Dusks…**" the voice continued, "**They just came out of nowhere and… the shelter's gone. Everything's been razed to the ground…**" There was a pause, perhaps the obviously upset man gathering his wits before he could continue. "**Everyone's fine, we managed to make it out in time, but Sora… don't come back. I'm guessing you have my Ninja with you, so I'm letting you keep her. You can pay me back later or something, but just get yourself out of Agrabah quickly. Whatever the Dusks didn't find in our home must be with you right now, and those monsters would kill to get it. Hurry-**"

The transmission ended abruptly in a burst of static. The light faded from Leon's eye, and he blinked once before turning his head in response to movement. From behind them, Master Ven emerged with Yuffie a step behind. The girl, a great deal calmer now given the urgent circumstances, still managed a somewhat restrained smile as she handed Sora and Leon a large cloak each.

"Best put those on," the shaman advised. "You'll need them when the sun rises."

"We're going back to the city?" Sora asked incredulously. "But we can't make that kind of distance on foot!"

"It's not Agrabah's capital I have in mind, kid," Master Ven explained, "but the Coliseum, much closer to where we are. We may have to push it a little, but I'm confident we'll make it. You've never been to the Coliseum, have you?" When the boy shook his head, the older man smiled dryly. "Well then, you're in for an eye-opener. But be cautious – the further the location from the good Sultan's watchful eyes, the more wretched a hive of scum and villainy it turns out to be."

* * *

The sun was high above their heads by the time the Coliseum came into sight. The elliptical structure that had been intended as an amphitheater – a gift from another ruler to the Sultan – had since fallen on hard times, decaying both outward and inward. What had once been a grand arena open only to the most respectable visitors was now a dilapidated hub for smugglers, infamous types who needed a place to land but preferred to keep as far from the Sultan's notice as possible. Yet, even a place like this did not escape the Organization's notice.

"Boss, look." Following the direction Yuffie had pointed out, the group could see gray shapes weaving about at leisurely paces. While they observed the people, they seemed to do so more out of curiosity than actual intent.

"They know to look for someone, but they don't know who exactly they are looking for. That buys us some time at least," Master Ven noted. Then, motioning toward the stone steps to side, "Stay here. I won't be a moment."

"Where are you going?"

"We'll need a pilot to take us where we're headed," the shaman explained. Then, as an afterthought, he directed the other two, "Yuffie, you'll come with me. Leon, stay with Sora and keep him out of trouble. And whatever you do, be sure to act as much like a human as possible – these folks don't take kindly to androids."

With that, Master Ven and Yuffie disappeared into the crowd. Suddenly finding the situation a little awkward, Sora twiddled his fingers and looked around the area, at the many different sorts of people that strolled about and talked amongst one another. He could see some even attempting to sell off their wares; most did not succeed, each too busy minding their own tails to care for the plight of another. Beside him, the SeeD was still standing, his silence not helping to ease the awkwardness very much.

"… Say, Leon," he started, trying to find something to dispel that silence, "you think they'll find anyone here?"

The cyborg looked back at Sora, then raised his brows and openly shrugged. Though far from speaking in any known language, it was a universally recognized gesture and still got the message across fairly well.

"You know, I think I understand what you're trying to say better like this," Sora noted. "How come you didn't do it sooner?"

One of Leon's eyes squinted just a little, and he brought up a finger to scratch at his brow just above it while tilting his head slightly – the picture of one in serious thought. Compared to the earlier stiff and definitely robotic expressions he had seen, it was almost entertaining to watch, and Sora found he was grinning from ear to ear with amusement at the SeeD's honest if not slightly dramatic efforts to appear like a "normal" person.

Quite unexpectedly, the moment was interrupted as a huge, swaying body knocked against the steps in passing, nearly falling on top of the seated boy. Somehow taking offense, the large man turned a little too fast and barely stopped himself from falling over. Sora and Leon exchanged a knowing look, coming to the same verdict: this guy was seriously drunk. Said guy squinted blearily at the boy, then decided he didn't like whatever he was seeing and murmured with minimal coherence about brats, bad cargo runs, something about twelve death sentences and being worth hundreds of thousands in bounty, and something else that was probably supposed to be vulgar.

Leon continued to scratch at his brow for a moment, studying the odd behavior. Finally he came to his decision, and as Sora was wondering how much longer he could take before help arrived, the SeeD drew his fist back and straight punched the drunk. With a surprised wail, the man flew backward and crashed into the far side of the Coliseum. The rest of the crowd looked up for a grand total of two seconds before dismissing it as nothing out of the ordinary and going about their business, though they noticeably gave the pair of SeeD and boy a slightly wider berth.

"Not bad."

Sora was startled to his feet, expecting a second attack, before he noticed the reassuring presence of his new mentor and the Ninja. With them now was a third character: a man of solid build who appeared to be in his mid twenties. The blond hair on his head spiked in a strangely fashionable manner, just a little bit neater than Sora's. Sharp blue eyes seemed to glow with green fire every so often, and a huge sword wrapped in cloth upon his back gave him an intimidating air. He was still smirking, his eye on Leon; the SeeD's only response was to nod in acknowledgment.

"This is Cloud," Master Ven introduced. "He's the first mate on a ship that might suit our needs."

"You've found a pilot?" Sora asked eagerly.

"Hopefully," the shaman answered vaguely. "Now come along, before we draw anymore unwanted attention."

"This way," Cloud called, waving them to follow. Turning, he lead them back through the crowd, easily getting by as people left and right were quick to give way.

Once they got through, they could see another man leaning against a somewhat solid bit of wall, debris on either side of him giving him a bit of privacy for his smoke. He looked to be in his forties, with a tough, roguish air about him. His straw colored hair was streaked with gray and white, held up by a pair of weathered goggles with an opened cigarette packet strapped underneath the band, and his chin was graced with prickly stubble. One hand was nursing the once-white stub that still burned well despite its loss of length, and the other held a long spear in a relaxed grip.

With a gesture to wait, Cloud moved ahead to meet with the man. They exchanged a few words between them, and the man seemed a little irritated until Cloud mentioned something else – probably had to do with money – before he at last seemed a little interested. Then he nodded, and Cloud waved the rest of them over. As they approached, the man grumbled under his breath before dropping the stub to the sandy ground and crushing it under his boot.

"The name's Cid Highwind. I'm captain of the _Sierra_," the man introduced himself gruffly, glaring down any attempts to shake his hand. Then, jabbing a thumb back at Cloud, he added, "Spike 'ere tells me ya lot're lookin' for a ride?"

"We are," Master Ven answered easily, "if it is a fast ship."

"Fast ship?" – the captain's loud laugh was like a bark. – "What, ya been livin' under a rock or somethin'? Ain't ya never 'eard of what my _Sierra_ can do?"

"Should I have?"

"That baby's the fastest thing this side of the worlds! So long as I got 'er, ol' Cid can outrun _anythin'_!" the captain bragged. "So if I say she's fast enough for ya, she's fast enough for ya. What's the cargo?"

"Only passengers," Master Ven replied, gesturing to the rest of the traveling party, "the four of us, and no questions asked."

Cid sobered for a moment, glancing back at Cloud who merely shrugged. Then he leveled a look at his new client. "Ya lot in some kinda trouble?"

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any entanglements with the Organization."

"That's gonna cost extra, fella. Ten thousand munny, and I want it in advance."

"Ten thousand-?!" Sora squawked indignantly. "We could almost buy our own Ship for that!"

"Yeah? And who's gonna fly it, kid?" Cid challenged, "_Ya_?"

"You _bet_ I could, old man-!"

"That's enough, Sora," Master Ven cut him off with a stern look. Then, returning to the captain, "We don't have that much with us right now, but what we _can_ do is pay you two thousand now… and then fifteen thousand more when we reach our destination."

"Seventeen thousand, eh?"

"Does that suit you?"

Captain and first mate exchanged another look before Cid grinned widely and nodded. This time, he was the one to stick his hand out. "Okay, ya got yourselves a ride. Meet us outside, and we'll bring 'er around."

Master Ven reached forward and dropped the bag of munny into the waiting palm. "Will do."

"Well lookie there – 'ere come ya friends."

Turning, they noticed the Dusks were hovering over the last area that Sora and Leon had occupied. The gray beings circled the spot the SeeD had stood for a moment, then started to come closer. By the time they had slipped through the crowd, though, all they found were Cloud and Cid by the wall, the latter reaching for a fresh stick from his pack and staring boldly at them.

"… What, I ain't allowed?"

Without a word, the Dusks slid away, soon disappearing from sight. Pulling the cigarette free, Cid stuck it between his teeth and lit it up, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.

"G'damn, them guys must be desperate," he muttered around the stick. "But seventeen thousand… there's a lucky break, ain't it? Get back to the Ship and have 'er ready."

With a nod of understanding, Cloud stepped through a hole in the wall. Away from the safety of the Coliseum, he paused, eyeing his environment suspiciously. The air was still, perhaps a little too much so, and it inconvenienced him. Regardless, still glaring at the air by his shoulders, he continued on his way to where the _Sierra_ had been docked. As his pace remained unchanged, his hand reached up for the handle of his sword. Then, with a burst of speed, he spun around and swung his weapon in a wide arc.

Teeth met with the blade with a loud ring. Denied its prey, the attacking beast snarled viciously around the metal as it bit down harder and pressed forward. Cloud allowed it one step, then struck the sand under him to send it spraying upward. There was a painful howl as two more heads reared up, momentarily blinded and in a great deal of pain. Seizing the opportunity, the blond shoved back against the preoccupied monster, knocking it backward and freeing his sword. Repositioning the weapon, he brought it down over the main head in a cleaving action.

Instead of the sickly slicing of flesh, there was a hard "crack" to the skull. Still, it was enough to drop the animal, and it collapsed with a shudder to the ground about them. As the main head drooped with tongue lolling, the two lesser heads whined and whimpered with pain. Holding his sword up, Cloud flipped it easily in his grasp, switching from the blunt edge to the sharp.

"Come out, Hades," he called. "Unless you want me to kill him for real this time."

There was a slow, almost condescending clapping of hands from behind him, as another figure entered the scene. The tall man seemed to exude an inhuman aura of dark energy as he seemed to sweep forward instead of walk. Eying the fallen beast just once, he graced the blond with an unnerving smile as he drawled, "Impressive as always, SOLDIER, but was that really necessary?"

"The dead cannot pay their debts, Hades," Cloud growled back, kicking a large black paw out of his way, "Think about that before you send your pet to kill me."

Hades' sick smile only got wider, though his eyes did not share the same amusement. "Cloud, my boy, you know as much as I do that Cerberus could never really _kill_ you. Sure, he might… uh… dismember you a little and maybe chew up your hardware, but we can always put you back together again. I just… mm… asked him to relay my concern over your delay…" – he paused, his eyes narrowing – "… and your attempt at leaving so soon."

"I'm not running away," the blond answered, meeting the glare head on, "and I _will_ have what I owe you."

"Really…"

"My captain's taken on a charter this time. It's an easy job, won't take too long, and I can pay you back in full with the munny we'll make," Cloud went on. "I'll even throw in a little extra as interest. I just need you to give me more time."

The smile was replaced by a more thoughtful line, as Hades scratched his chin lazily. Then, with a dismissive snap of his fingers, Cerberus rose unsteadily, though the main head continued to slump in unconsciousness and the other two's eyes were still watering.

"Very well," he declared. "Because you're the best at what you do and I like you so much… you may have your extended deadline. Pay me back, and I will surely leave you alone to your newfound freedom. Disappoint me again, however, and that price on your head will be so very, _very_ much larger."

"I _will_ pay you," Cloud growled. The blade spun in his grip before he sheathed it behind his back. "I am not your slave anymore."

There was an amused hum as Hades took his leave. "We shall see…"

* * *

Muffled screams echoed through the corridor of Hollow Bastion castle, accompanied every so often by hisses and crackling of energy. Undaunted, the remaining gray beings that awaited their master stayed their places. Long after the last pained cry died down, the doors were slow to open. Stepping out, Ansem dismissed the dark energy around his hand with a careless wave.

"She is quite resilient. Almost admirably so," he mused aloud, though his tone lacked the same confidence of earlier. "No matter. It appears I'll have to try an alternative manner of persuasion."

As he marched down the corridor back the way he had come, he conjured up another orb, speaking to it without breaking stride.

"Prepare an invasion force," he ordered. "Set their course for the Destiny Islands."

* * *

Just outside the main entrance to the Coliseum, the darker surroundings was more of an ominous sign than something of relief. Already, many were moving away to seek shelter, something the interior of the ruined amphitheater could not provide. When a soft breeze actually kicked up, it became a cause for alarm. Nudging her way pass the hurrying crowd, Yuffie returned hastily to where the rest of the group waited.

"There's a bad sandstorm headed this way!" she called over the noise. "If we don't get out of here fast, we'll be sitting ducks!"

"We'll give it a little longer," Master Ven called back. "If his Ship is as fast as he's boasting, we should be alright."

As it turned out, they did not have to wait very long at all. A different rushing drone overhead heralded the arrival of the vessel, seconds before it landed. Before them now stood a severely battered contraption that seemed to have been torn apart and then pieced back together over and over again. Its rusty hull seemed like a mismatched patchwork of metal from at least a thousand different locations, bolted together without even an effort to paint them over in a uniform color. It looked like it couldn't take more than a single blast of energy to fall apart all over again.

"That's not a Gummi Ship!" Sora protested, staring incredulously at the ugly craft. "That's a piece of junk!"

At that remark, the boarding ramp lowered itself and the captain popped his head into view. "Ya dissin' my _Sierra_, boy?!" he snapped irritably. "Well? _Are ya_?!"

"No, sir!" Sora wisely chose as his answer.

"Good! Now haul ass and get the 'ell in this piece of junk." And Cid disappeared from sight once more, though his voice still carried with the same volume. "I know she ain't look like much, kiddo, but she's got it where it counts. I built 'er myself, y'know, gave 'er all the special modifications she needs."

Still skeptical but understanding the urgency in their situation, Sora held his tongue and hurried up the ramp with the rest of the group. As the last of them clambered in to safety, the gang plank drew up behind them, sealing shut against the rising strength of the winds.

As it turned out, the _Sierra_'s interior looked in much better shape than its exterior. Crossing the main cargo hold, Cid climbed up a ladder to the cockpit. He was followed by Master Ven, Leon and Sora, two out of necessity and one out of curiosity. Already in the pilot's seat, Cloud started up the engines of the Gummi Ship as his captain took the chair next to him. With a rumble, the Ship lifted off the desert sands and steadily gained altitude.

"Well, kiddies?" Cid asked distractedly, "Where to?"

"He will be the judge of that."

Before either captain or first mate could react, Leon had come between them and leaned over the dashboard. Examining it for a moment, he finally dropped on one knee as he found the access point he had been looking for. The tip of his right index finger popped open, and a thin metal claw jabbed deep within the socket; the result was instantaneous, both Leon's eyes and the socket glowing with icy blue light as information fed into the _Sierra_'s navigation system.

The captain promptly took offense, spinning in his seat and shouting at the now obviously mechanical intruder. "What the 'ell are ya doin'?! Ya get ya bloody g'damn butt away from there, ya little-!"

"Don't be alarmed, Captain," Master Ven spoke up at once. "Leon has the coordinates of our destination. He is only trying to find the best route for your Ship to take."

Cloud turned as well, staring with new wonder at the man beside him. Recognizing the silver tint to the light's color, his expression brightened. "You're a SeeD…"

Preoccupied with his task, Leon merely nodded in affirmation without meeting the other's gaze. Further talk was interrupted as burst of static crackled from the radio.

"**This is the Organization. Land your Ship immediately. I repeat-**"

"Why? So ya pasty gray pipsqueaks can gun us down?" Cid spat irately. "Spike! Quit checkin' out Scar's ass and fly the g'damn Ship! And _ya_!" – an accusing digit jabbed in Leon's direction – "Ya take ya g'damn finger out of that g'damn hole right now or g'damn it, I'll beat ya senseless over ya bleedin' slashed up head with a bleedin' _pipe_!"

Surprised into meekness, Leon stopped the transfer and recalled the claw before backing away carefully. Appeased by the action, Cid looked around to where he could barely see the approaching vessel through the screen of dust.

"… Looks like a Grappler's after us. _Damn_, ya people have _gotta_ be hotter than I thought," he grumbled. "This ain't good. Spike, angle that deflector shield, hold 'em off while I get the warp drive going. Stay sharp, kid, don't let 'em cut us off."

"Why don't you outrun them?" Sora asked. "I thought you said this thing was fast!"

"Ya watch ya flappin' mouth, punk, or ya'll be floatin' on home," Cid growled. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump."

"Do you know where to jump to, though?"

"Sure I do. Wonder Boy 'ere stuck 'em in already," the captain replied gruffly. "But get this straight: I don't care if ya're human, machine or a monkey's creepy uncle, _nobody_ backseat drives Cid Highwind. Not in this lifetime, not in _any_ g'damn lifetime."

The view finally cleared as the _Sierra_ left Agrabah behind. That was when they could see with absolute clarity the shots that were coming too close for comfort. As the ship was battered down in gunfire, a red warning light flashed on the dashboard.

"Captain, we're losing our deflector shield," Cloud reported.

"Ain't a problem no more, sonny. We're ready to make the jump," Cid answered. "As for the rest of ya: get ya asses outta 'ere and _sit down_."

For a few agonizing moments more, the _Sierra_ continued to endure enemy fire as it flew ahead of the Grappler and its outstretched metal claws. Then in a brief half-second, the vessel seemed to blur out of existence as it picked up an incredible amount of speed, slipping from the ship's grasp before the claw clamped down.

* * *

The princess woke to find herself no longer in her cell, but instead confined within an entirely different prison with much less leg room.

"Try not to move too much, your Highness," Ansem's voice commanded her attention. "This Parasite Cage is getting close to its feeding time, and I would hate for any accidents to occur."

Peering through the black "bars" that were in actuality rows of gapped teeth, Kairi spotted Ansem just ahead of her. Between the darkness of the interior and the limited view, it was hard to see what the man was doing. Eventually, he did turn around.

"Spit her out," he ordered.

At once, the Parasite Cage shuddered before the teeth pulled apart. The princess dropped to the floor with little grace, the monster hovering over her in wary watch for sudden movements. Unbothered, Ansem tossed some unidentifiable gook into the emptied maw. Then he looked down at the girl as she pushed herself onto hands and knees.

"Allow me to congratulate you for your… good fortune," he spoke smoothly. "Despite your betrayal to the Organization, the council has decided against having you executed. Unfortunately, though, the same cannot be said for those… 'affiliated' with you. Raise your head, please."

Slowly, the princess did so, and found that a Magic Mirror had been set up before her. Its outer rim of brass lined with lights of the energy that powered it, providing an image so clear it might as well be real. As she watched, all she could really see was smoke and fire, so vivid she could almost smell it.

"The Organization will make an example of your home world. Watch… witness for yourself the consequences of your actions."

Realizing at once what was about to happen, the princess managed to stagger to her feet. "No! You can't do this-!"

"Dear princess," Ansem drawled. "We already have."

Now, the darkness that wrapped about the island in their viewpoint, became clearer still, revealed to be composed of thousands of Shadows. Each black creature moved with little care, striking any living person – young or ancient – and sinking sharp claws into their chests.

"It is only a matter of time before they find the Keyhole. And when that happens…"

"Please, _stop!_" Kairi cried out, her hands latching desperately onto Ansem's long black sleeve. "The Destiny Islands is a place of peace! My people have nothing to do with this! Please, they're innocents-!"

"Would you prefer another target, then?" Ansem challenged darkly. "Perhaps a target that has a better fighting chance?"

Realizing what the man was demanding – what all this was for – the princess released her hold at once. Her fingers trembled and her eyes were wide with fear – not for herself, but for all the lives that were about to be involved. Instead, it was Ansem's hand that grabbed her by the shoulder, close to lifting her from the ground as he squeezed tightly.

"I will ask you one last time, your Highness," the man growled, his fingers curling tighter still, "Where is Radiant Garden? _Where is your stronghold?_"

Eliciting a soft cry of protest to the crushing grip, Kairi's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she watched the destruction going on in her home world. Finally, giving up, she bowed her head.

"… My charm… When you captured me, you took it along with my possessions," she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "It is a navigation block… It will lead you directly to where the Garden is."

The grip slackened, and Ansem's tone lightened considerably. "Very well. I thank you for cooperating," he answered. Then, shoving her back to the floor, he ordered the waiting Parasite Cage, "Capture her again. We're taking her with us onboard the MCP."

"… Wait…!" the princess called out as the teeth scooped her up and trapped her once more, "… the Shadows… call them off before-"

"It's already too late."

"What…?"

"Poor little princess," Ansem mocked, already disinterested in watching the impending destruction, "if only you spoke up sooner…"

As they watched, the swarm wrapped itself completely over the last of the Islands. Then, with a shatter like breaking glass, the world disappeared into the darkness of space.

* * *

With the warp drive still engaged, the _Sierra_'s crew was considerably more relaxed. Now, only Cid manned the cockpit. Behind him were Sora and Master Ven, the pair focusing on some lesson of sorts. Quite suddenly, it was interrupted as both student and mentor faltered, the younger less so than the older.

"What… what was that?"

Rubbing at his head, Master Ven looked up at Sora, the boy clutching his hair more dramatically. "… You felt it?"

"It was like… there were so many voices… screaming in terror, and then…" – Sora slowly pried his fingers loose from the strands and lowered them – "… silence…" Then the boy turned to the shaman, his expression still pained. "Master Ven, what _was_ that?"

"I am not sure, but I fear something terrible has happened." And with that, Master Ven breathed deeply, his expression somber as he instructed, "We had best finish this exercise."

Meanwhile, unaware of what had just occurred, Cid sighed deeply and sat back at last, his spine cracking loudly from the tension as he stretched. "Well, ya pansies can forget about 'em Organization wimps. I told ya," the pilot paused to light a cigarette in celebration of his victory, "if Cid can outrun 'em, he can outrun 'em."

There was silence, the only ones in the cockpit beside him preoccupied with their tasks at hand. Sora was focused intently on the teachings of his mentor, his choice of "weapon" held in an attacking stance which looked entirely comical. Staring incredulously for a moment, the pilot scoffed and returned his attention to the endless expanse of space ahead.

"Don't all ya ungrateful asses thank me at once," he muttered. No one answered.

Meanwhile, comfortable in the main cargo hold and unbothered by the events that had transpired above, Cloud and Leon sat opposite one another, their heads bowed over the board between them. Battered chess figurines of unique but crude design were set in position, conquered pieces strewn about the floor here and there. Although their losses were different, it appeared well enough that they were still tied for victory. Watching them from a safe enough distance, Yuffie's eyes followed each movement with interest.

It was Cloud's turn, and he paused only to look over the board once before moving a piece forward. A confident smirk graced his features as he leaned back, relaxing. Across from him, Leon's expression remained in the same emotionless poker face. Then his hand moved over the board without a pause, hopping over the "attacker" with ease and going instead for a bigger prize. Another of Cloud's pieces fell away, and the blond lost his smirk quickly as he realized his new predicament. Immediately, he scowled darkly and flipped the other man off.

"You big baby," Yuffie teased, grinning from ear to ear at her companion's prowess. "Fair's fair. No use whining about it."

"I'll have you know," Cloud growled quietly, his fists flexing and knuckles cracking, "that it is not wise at all to upset a SOLDIER."

"Now you're just being a spoiled brat. Nobody worries about upsetting a SeeD."

"Do SeeDs have the reputation of ripping people's limbs from their sockets, dicing whatever's left to pieces and finally disposing of the minced remains in at least twenty different locations?" Cloud challenged, leaning back once more, head resting in linked palms. "I think not."

Both Yuffie and Leon paused, staring blankly at him. Then they shared a look with one another before the younger cleared her throat carefully.

"Can I suggest a new strategy?"

The older did not answer, but a mad gleam was starting to surface in his eyes.

"… Lee?"

Leon still did not respond, not even to glare for the nickname he disliked. As his eyes bore straight into the SOLDIER's, the message was sent loud and clear. In a flash, Cloud got out of his comfortable position and sat upright, his hand sweeping in a wide arc. With a loud clatter, the board and remaining chess pieces fell to the floor, the surprisingly tough figurines withstanding the impact enough to roll away unharmed.

"Bring it on, Wonder Boy."

The brunet did not need a second invitation to jump over the makeshift crate table and launch himself right at the offensive blond. With a loud squeak of "_Leon, NO!_", Yuffie ducked for cover.

Back up in the flight deck, the peace was shattered by an incredibly loud ruckus that seemed to shake the very deck plates at their feet. With a surprised squawk, Sora dropped the weapon he had been holding – which promptly vanished into thin air before it could hit the ground – and landed on his butt. More stable on his feet, his mentor only exhibited minimal frustration with a soft sigh. With a loud curse of color reserved for the most unorthodox of porn movies, Cid flicked a switch and turned on the intercom before he proceeded to bellow straight into the mic:

"_I'M WARNIN' YA PACK OF PUNKS! DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE! BREAK IT UP OR I'M TURNIN' THIS THING AROUND!!_"

Sooner than one would expect, calm and quiet returned. Grumbling complaints, Cid eyed Sora with bored curiosity. The boy was standing rigidly, his eyes closed as though in meditation.

"While it is good that you can effortlessly call Fresh Breeze to you now," the shaman spoke, identifying his weapon's name at last, "your next step is to manifest your own Keyblade, one that represents you and draws its power from the strength of your heart."

The boy frowned in deep concentration, his hands held palm up before him. "… I don't feel anything," he muttered between clenched teeth.

"Don't force it. The more frustrated you are, the harder it will be," Master Ven instructed. "Be still… reach deep within yourself, and seek out that dormant power residing in you."

Skeptical to the entire affair, Cid snorted. "Ya call that hokey toy a weapon?" And, jabbing his cigarette in their direction, he boasted, "thing like that ain't no match for good sharp steel any day."

With a knowing smile, Master Ven turned back to Sora and placed a hand on his chest. "Focus on this spot. Open your mind… what do you see?"

The brows furrowed even further, then raised in surprise before the boy uttered, "… there's some kind of light."

"Call that light to you," the shaman instructed gently, moving his hand down and tapping the center of Sora's right palm, "direct it here."

For a while, there was nothing. Sora frowned again. "It's not budging."

"Don't doubt yourself, kid. Remember what you want to do."

Still, nothing seemed to happen for several long counts. Then, very abruptly, there was a flash of light at Sora's fingertips. The boy startled, his eyes opening at once, and he looked down to find himself holding a Keyblade with a simple skeletal design. It had silver teeth and a golden hilt with a blue rain guard, but seemed more like a child's toy than the sleek, sword like design that Fresh Breeze had.

Yet, when he looked up at Master Ven, the man was smiling and nodded his approval. "Well done."

With one last condescending huff, Cid turned his back on them and instead faced the windshield again. "And the day will be frickin' saved by a five foot five boy with a funny haircut and a magical _stick_," he muttered, tapping the ash from his cigarette before taking another puff, "_Whoop_ Dee Doo."

Then a soft beeping caught his attention. Looking down, his grumpy façade softened into something more neutral as he stabbed his cigarette into a nearby ashtray and put it out.

"Looks like we're comin' up on the coordinates ya cyborg gave us. _Spike! Get on up here!_ And ya two can leave."

Still staring incredulously at the Keyblade that was definitely his, Sora numbly followed Master Ven toward the ladder. As Cloud came up and stepped around them, he looked up. "… So, what now?"

"Now," the shaman answered, "you take your next step into a larger world."

* * *

Approaching the set destination, the _Sierra_ started to slow down, returning to normal space-time. In the cockpit, Cid and Cloud were kept busy. The captain pulled back on a control lever, and everything outside the ship seemed to come back into focus, white streaks turning into stars… and the meteor that hurtled toward them slowing down but still dead ahead.

"_Whoa!_"

With a yank at the right controls, the Gummi Ship speedily avoided the impending collision, barely brushing the underside of the space rock in their escape. Behind it, there were more meteors, though of no immediate danger to the vessel. Yet, apart from that, there was no world, nowhere to land.

"What the 'ell?" Cid muttered, checking his coordinates again, "That blasted cyborg…!"

As though sensing the confusion, Master Ven came up the ladder again. "Is something wrong?"

"Your Wonder Boy, for one!" the captain snapped irritably. "His data's screwed up! There ain't nothin' 'ere but a meteor shower."

Equally confused, the shaman frowned and stared out into space. "… There has to be an explanation for this."

"There'd better be, or- _HOLY SHIT!!_"

Summoned by the Captain's loud exclamation, the remaining passengers scaled the ladder as well, just in time to watch a gigantic shadow glide by, narrowly missing them. Unlike the meteors of earlier, the colossal form had a shape that was too uniform, too perfect to be anything but man-made. They could make out machinery, mechanical structures… the hull of a very, very large spacecraft. Painted on its side in large white letters were the initials "MCP".

"… that can't be a space station. Ain't no space station's that big," Cid muttered uneasily. "Tell me that ain't what ya lot're lookin' for."

"No," Master Ven confirmed solemnly. "It isn't."

"Thank ya. We're outta 'ere." Turning, Cid barked orders at his first mate. "Full reverse! Lock in the auxiliary power!"

Quite suddenly, the entire Ship lurched, shaking violently as it slowly drifted closer to its gargantuan neighbor. Barely missing sliding back down the ladder, Sora gripped the back of Cid's chair and pulled himself forward.

"We're caught in a tractor beam!" Cloud reported. "It's pulling us in!"

"And 'ere we are at full power. Damn shit's got us good…" Cid growled. "… there ain't no choice. Shut down before we fall apart."

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed in terror. "Isn't there anything you can do?!"

"There's nothin', kid, so shut up," Cid snapped. Still growling, he cracked his knuckles as the hapless vessel drew even closer. "They ain't gonna take ol' Cid down without a fight…"

"You can't win, Captain," Master Ven cut in gently. "But there are alternatives to fighting."

* * *

"… Where is it?" Ansem uttered dangerously. "… _Where is it?_"

The MCP's crew was silent, too afraid for their lives to make any sudden moves. Yet, there was nothing to show that might appease their master. Any sign of an inhabitable world was nowhere to be found, never mind the legendary stronghold that was Radiant Garden.

"Play me for a fool, will you princess?" In the echo of a frustrated snarl, Ansem's fist swirled with fierce purple tendrils, assaulting the arm rest of the command chair and crushing it. The abuse to the inanimate object was suddenly interrupted by an intercom buzz.

"**A Gummi Ship has just been captured,**" a robotic voice reported. "**Its markings match those of the Ship that evaded arrest in Agrabah.**"

Ansem paused, and the energy at his hand faded as he brought it closer to his shrouded face. In the loose fist, his thumb and forefinger rubbed slowly.

"If the plans were brought here as well, then it seems the girl was not lying after all," he mused aloud. Then, as his fist closed tighter, "but she hides more from us yet…"

"**What are your orders, Lord Ansem?**"

"Apprehend the crew," Ansem commanded. "I want every part of the Ship thoroughly checked. Those plans must be found."

"**Yes, sir.**"

* * *

As the battered vessel was towed closer toward the MCP, its already immense size seemed all the more intimidating. Running along the length were huge docking ports into which the _Sierra_ was dragged. As the Ship was pulled past a docking port control room and a set of huge laser turret cannons, an overhead intercom sounded for clearance of their current location: Bay 2037.

"**We are opening the magnetic field. All Samurais: report to your stations.**"

At last, the _Sierra_ came to a rest within the huge hangar, and marching up to the Ship were an array of at least thirty gray-suited beings. They were more distinctly humanoid than the Dusks, each one dressed in long-sleeved uniform with helmets on their head and a pair of swords crossed at their back. As the first line of five prepared to board the vessel, the remainder stood with their weapons ready.

Moments later, the Samurais crossed the lounge area, each with at least one sword in the open. One made its way up to the cockpit; a few minutes later it came back down, reaching for a hidden compartment in its uniform to produce a small communication device.

"There's no one onboard, sir," it reported. "According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff. Several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

"**It must be a decoy,**" a gantry officer replied. "**Regardless, Lord Ansem wants the entire Ship searched.**"

"Understood."

The device disappeared from sight once more, and the lead Samurai waved the others back the way they came. In a few moments all was quiet once more, the muffled sounds of the distant officer finally fading. At once, two floor panels popped up and slid away. Cid emerged from the first hole, Cloud from the next. Another two panels came free, revealing their passengers.

"It's lucky you had these compartments."

"We use them for smuggling," Cloud answered in his captain's stead. "Though, this would be the first time we actually smuggled ourselves in them…"

"This is frickin' ridiculous," Cid grumbled. "Even if I could take off, I ain't getting' anywhere pass that tractor beam."

"Don't worry about that," Master Ven replied, pulling himself from the hole before helping Sora, "I'll handle it."

"… and I knew ya'd say that," Cid muttered disdainfully. "Ya're a g'damn fool."

"Who's more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?"

The captain said no more, finding it more appropriate to just flip the shaman off. Emerging as well, Yuffie shook her head in exasperation while Leon's right eye flickered in silent agreement.

* * *

With the _Sierra_ found empty, most of the Samurais dispersed, returning to their original positions. The line of five finally emerged, making their way down the ramp when something banged against the metal panels behind them. At once, they surged back up the way they came. There was a low, muffled series of thumps and scuffles, and then silence once more.

In the command office near the entrance, the gantry officer pulled the communicator from its sleeve again. "Scout team, what's taking so long? … Scout team, do you copy?"

The communicator came back with static. Then, a Samurai came back down the ramp and waved for attention, gesturing at what was obviously a badly trashed device of sorts.

"… Idiot," the officer growled in disgust. Rising from its seat, it headed for the door. The moment it pushed the access panel, the door slid open to reveal another Samurai. Before a word could be said between them, the gray being struck the officer, sending it flying into the closest wall with a sickening "crack". The room was steadily filled by all five of the Samurais, and the first tugged its helmet off to reveal Cloud beneath the disguise.

"This is it. Get over here and do whatever you have to."

Approaching at once, Leon tugged off his helmet and the glove over his right hand. As he got to work with a computer socket, Master Ven joined them in the room, the only one without a disguise.

"What have you found?"

In response, Leon's eye flickered with light as he relayed – and Cloud translated – the exact location of the main reactor.

"The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations," the blond continued translating. "A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave."

Humming in acknowledgment, Master Ven turned toward the door again. "I'll take care of that."

"I'll go with you-"

"No, Sora," the shaman insisted, cutting off the boy before he could follow. "Stay here with Leon and Yuffie."

"But-"

"Their safety is our top priority here. They _must_ reach Radiant Garden." Master Ven paused, his hard gaze trained on his student. "Do you understand?"

"… Yes, sir."

Nodding just once, Master Ven turned and hurried down the hallway, soon disappearing out of sight. Behind Sora, Cid had yanked the helmet from his head and was smoking again.

"This shit ain't worth a lousy seventeen thousand…" he grumbled. Then, looking over his shoulder at where Leon continued to search the computer system, he fired a question: "What're ya still doin' with that thing, anyway? We got what we wanted-"

Suddenly, Leon cut off the pilot with a frantic series of whistles and beeps. Sora promptly perked up and hurried to his location.

"What is it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Cloud answered for the brunet. "He just keeps saying 'I found her' and 'She's here'."

"Who would that be?"

Leon's answer was equally frantic, and this time Yuffie jumped up as well, her eyes wide.

"The princess is here?!" she squawked. "Are you sure?!"

"The one in the transmission?" Sora asked excitedly.

"What bleedin' princess?" Cid fired off at the same time.

Ignoring them, Leon continued to search the system a little longer before finding the information he needed.

"Level five. Detention block double A-twenty-three," Cloud relayed. "Top security."

"We gotta go after her!"

With an irritated growl, Cid snagged Sora by the collar before he could get too far. "We ain't goin' nowhere 'til I get a frickin' explanation."

"Leon and me belong to Princess Kairi," Yuffie explained quickly. "We got boarded, she sent us on ahead, we thought we lost her, but now we're getting her back! Can we go now?"

"No."

"We can't just leave her!" Sora protested, wriggling against the firm hold.

"Ya 'eard my boy. Top security," Cid snapped. "I ain't paid enough to bust whatever's called 'Top security'."

"But they could kill her!"

"Better 'er than me."

"She's rich!"

At once the grizzled captain swiveled his head in the Ninja's direction. "Say that again."

"She ain't a princess for nothing, you know!" Yuffie boasted. "She's got the money and the looks and the power and all that! So if you rescue her, the reward will be… well… it's _way_ lot more than whatever you're imagining!"

Cid promptly spat out his cigarette as he retorted. "I can imagine quite a bit!"

"And you'll get it!"

"I better!" And with that, the captain released Sora and clapped the Samurai helmet back over his head. "Alright, ya punks, let's do this shit and go."

"Cool!" Yuffie piped, a victorious grin on her face. "So: what's the plan?"

Four pairs of eyes homed in on her at once.

"… You mean you _don't_ have a plan?"

"Nope!"

Cid's glove connected with the helmet in a low "clang" as he muttered through the ringing echo, "I hate this job already…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, kid. Ya better be right 'bout this."

Turning into the detention area, three Samurai strode toward the elevator tube. While a few gave their behavior odd glances, most of the passing troops and officers alike ignored them completely. One of the three pressed a button and stood back, shifting its weight a little before straightening in what seemed a little more proper. The second scratched at the front of its helmet. The third looked down to watch as a Pot Spider advanced curiously toward its feet. Then it raised its foot and kicked the little thing away with a low "clunk" of metal against ceramic. The upset Pot Spider promptly righted itself with a catlike grace and skittered out of sight with pitched squeaks of alarm.

Satisfied, the third Samurai looked back at where its two fellows stared openly at its actions. Then, it shrugged as it asked defensively, "_What_?"

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice – or care for – the hostile action against the small critter. The vacuum tube arrived at last, and the three Samurai waited for the crowd to clear out of the elevator car before stepping in as the new sole occupants. Buttons were pressed, directing for "Level Five". An officer hustled toward them, but not one of the three made a move to wait for it; the door slid shut with the echo of the officer's irritated complaints. Now alone and out of earshot, the second amongst the three scratched a little more vigorously at its visor.

"I can't see a thing in this helmet," it complained.

"Deal with it, kid," the third retorted gruffly. It shifted its weight again and raised its head to look idly about the dull surroundings. "… This ain't gonna work…"

"Sure it is," the second insisted.

"No, it isn't," the first added its two cents. Immediately, the second one turned on it.

"Whose side are you on?"

"The side that enjoys the concept of staying alive, thanks."

The elevator car shot up the tube as a line of Samurais marched stiffly by. As the line turned back into the main hallway, a fleeting flash of earthy tone slipped pass their backs and disappeared down a narrower passageway.

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop on the fifth level. The door slid open, and the three Samurais stepped out. Greeting them at once was a small squad, all fully armed and on the alert. The squad leader stepped forward, approaching the three.

"What business do you have up here?" it demanded.

"Shift change, sir," the first of the three answered.

"I was not notified…" The leader regarded them for a long time, then nodded as it accepted the answer. "… Never mind. You may take your positions."

The three refrained from showing any display of relief. Of course, that was when the other shoe fell.

"Ah, yes, I'll have to give you clearance. State your operating numbers."

The three Samurais paused, looking at one another uneasily. Waiting, noticing something odd about this behavior, the officer straightened and renewed a hard gaze on them.

"Well…?"

"Uh…" the third Samurai stalled for a minute, scratching at its helmet in a vain attempt to think. Finally, giving up, it simply reached for its holster. "Aw, screw this."

Taken by surprise, the leader was dropped swiftly in a flurry of blades. The rest of the squad, too, were slow to react before the three intruders were on them. Gray shadow blades flew through the air, striking indiscriminately against their targets. The three were outnumbered and outgunned, despite their valiant efforts. Against the larger force, they were slowly, surely, being forced backward.

Then, a small robotic orb rolled and tumbled into their midst, its blinks of yellow increasing in frequency with every passing second. Then with a blinding explosion of light and smoke, it was over; the inhuman troops were gone, burned away by the specialized technology and leaving their empty jumpsuits and helmets scattered over the ground. All that remained were the three.

The second Samurai coughed and waved a hand in front of its helmet at the offending smoke before turning on its accomplices. "_Are you insane?!_"

"'uck your honor," the culprit retorted, yanking its helmet off to reveal Cid's irritated countenance beneath. "That was _way_ faster."

"That wasn't about honor," the Samurai protested heatedly, "that was about drawing attention to us!"

"Kid's got a point, you know," Cloud chipped in, pulling off his own helmet to reveal a neutral expression. Cid narrowed his eyes in a glare and jabbed an accusing finger at the SOLDIER.

"Whose side are ya on?"

"I already answered that question, and we don't have time for me to repeat myself," Cloud replied. His sword sought out the surveillance cameras and eliminated them quickly. "We've got to find out which cell this princess of yours is in."

"… Oh! Right!" and the remaining Samurai ran for the control panel. It studied the buttons for a long time, and then slumped in defeat. "… I think I need some help."

With grumbled complaints, Cid elbowed past the Samurai and waved Cloud over. The SOLDIER scanned the panel until he found what he was looking for.

"Here she is… Cell twenty-one-eighty-seven," he reported, earning a nod from his captain.

"Kid, ya go get 'er. We'll hold 'em 'ere."

"Twenty-one-eighty-seven. Got it!"

No sooner had the Samurai raced down one of the cell corridors when the control panel started buzzing, a voice sounding over the static. "**Come in, A-A-twenty-three. What's going on up there? A-A-twenty-three, do you copy?**"

Uncertainly, Cloud reached for the intercom and pressed the button. "… Uh… This is A-A-twenty-three. Everything is under control. Situation normal."

"**What happened?**"

"Uh… well…" Cloud stuttered nervously, "… We had a slight, uh, weapon's malfunction, but, uh, everything's perfectly alright now. A-okay. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you… um… How are you?"

There was a distinct pause before the intercom sounded again. "**… Stand by, A-A-twenty-three. We're sending a squad up.**"

"Ah, no! I mean, um, negative! Negative," Cloud tried to answer. "We have a… uh… reactor leak here now! Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak… very dangerous!"

"**Just who is this? Let me speak to your officer in charge.**"

"Bloody A, '_ere's_ ya g'damn 'officer in charge'," Cid growled irritably from the side. With a strike that narrowly missed taking one of Cloud's fingers, the intercom burst into flying sparks. "Borin' conversation anyway… _Haul ass, kid! We're 'bout to 'ave some company!_"

At once, the Samurai picked up speed, its head whipping back and forth to skim over the numbers adorning the top of each cell door. Then it barely halted, hopping on one foot as it picked out the one it was looking for. Stabbing a sword into the door's locking mechanism, the Samurai forced it apart and stepped inside.

That was his first, true glance of the princess aside from the hologram. Having never seen another like her before, the Samurai paused, momentarily forgetting what it was supposed to be doing as it lowered the sword, peering through the holes in its helmet at the sight presented to it. Stirring, Princess Kairi startled fully awake at the new presence in the confined space with her. Then, noticing the gray-garbed troop just standing there and staring blankly at her, she tilted her head curiously as she sat upright.

"… You're awfully short for a Samurai," she commented bluntly.

"… Huh? Oh, right, the uniform…!" The Samurai yanked the helmet from its head, revealing the young boy underneath the disguise. At once, bright blue eyes homed in on her as he spoke earnestly, "My name's Sora. I'm here to rescue you!"

Kairi blinked. "… You're who? You're what?"

"I'm here to rescue you!" Sora repeated insistently, the urgency of their situation coming back to him, "I've got your SeeD with me! And Master Ven's here as well!"

"… Lord Ventus?!" And at once the princess was on her feet. "He's here? Where is he now?"

"I'll explain later. Come on!"

* * *

On the main deck, the intercom crackled to life: "**Lord Ansem, we have an emergency alert in Detention Block A A-twenty-three.**"

"Put all sections on alert," Ansem answered. "Do not allow any of them to escape."

"**Yes, my Lord.**"

The intercom fell silent, and the commander in his black coat stood slowly, his head raised as he stared wistfully into space.

"… it's you, isn't it Ventus?" he murmured aloud. "After all these years, you still wish to play the knight in shining armor. And yet, I wonder… What is your true motive for coming all the way out here…?"

* * *

Back in the Detention Block's fifth level, a sudden ominous buzz sounded from behind the elevator's doors.

"Captain!" Cloud called, pulling one of his two swords from its scabbard. "They're here!"

"_Shit_…" the captain cussed. Reaching into a hidden compartment on the jumpsuit, he produced a second bomb. "Git behind me, kid! Hurry up!"

Sure enough, the door was smashed open in a series of explosions. Under the cover of rising smoke, Cid activated the bomb and rolled it toward the newly-formed hole. Just as the first Samurais stepped through, another blinding flash of light erupted at their feet. Yet, only the first half of the fighting force took the impact, shielding the ones in the rear. As emptied jumpsuits and helmets clattered lifelessly to the ground, the remainder hopped over them through the entrance.

"So much for that idea… Let's go, let's go, _let's go_!"

Down the corridor, Sora was just emerging with the princess when Cid and Cloud hustled very quickly down to meet them.

"That way! That way!"

"What?! That's a dead end!" Kairi exclaimed aloud.

"Ya don't like it, missy, then mebbe ya can go back t' ya cell!" Cid snapped harshly.

"Hey! You leave her alone!" Sora protested at once.

"Can we _please_ argue later?" Cloud ground out, gesturing back at the incoming wave of attackers.

"There's gotta be another way out… Of course!" Pulling a communicator from his jumpsuit, Sora activated it as he continued to run. "Yuffie! Leon! Are you there…?"

"**Yeah, we're here. What do you need, boss?**"

"Yuffie, we've been cut off! Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?" – there was a burst of static in reply, unintelligible with the noise all around them. – "… What was that? I didn't catch it!"

* * *

"I said, all the systems are on alert! They know you're there, boss!" Yuffie repeated, with her counterpart relaying information to her from the control panel. "The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out. Leon's trying to find what he can, but all other information on your level is restricted!"

Suddenly, they were interrupted by approaching footsteps. Leon was quick to disconnect from the socket and get both his glove and helmet back on. Behind him, Yuffie yelped and issued a hurried, "_Gotta go, boss! Talk later!_" before hiding it and cramming her own helmet on as well. There was an exasperated whirring behind her as Leon saw fit to reach over and turn her helmet the right way around before waving her toward the door. No sooner had they reached the hallway when two Snipers – ranged combatants for the Organization – approached them.

"Hey, you!" one called. "What's going on here?!"

"Thank goodness you've come, sir! We were just about to go call on you, sir!" Yuffie replied urgently. "You're not going to believe the _mess_ that is in there! … _Sir_!"

"Alright, then. Stay out here," the other Sniper ordered. "Let us take care of this."

"Yes, sir!"

The two Snipers ran into the room, not noticing that Leon and Yuffie were a step behind. Then the door slid shut.

"… H-Hey! W-What are you doing?!"

"AAAAHHHHH!! _W-Who are you…?!_"

And then, there was silence. Then the door slid open one more time, Leon and Yuffie stepping back into the hallway, each now carrying the Snipers' ranged weapons. The Ninja pumped her fists gleefully.

"Whoo-hoo! Are we good or what?"

In answer, Leon whacked her over the helmet with a "clang". His visor flashed with light as he whistled at her.

"… Oh yeah!" Yuffie cried out as she recalled the situation. "They're still in trouble! We gotta find a way to help them!"

Leon paused to think for a moment, then he waved for Yuffie to follow as he hurried down the hallway.

"I don't know what you're planning, big guy, but I sure hope it works…!"

* * *

"… _This ain't workin'!_" Cid hollered over the sounds of battle. "We can't hold 'em off forever!"

"Didn't you have a Plan B when you came in here?" Kairi called from behind Sora.

"Don't lookit me, cupcake," the pilot growled, jerking his head in the boy's direction. "This was all _his_ idea."

At once, Sora felt Kairi's eyes on him. Sheepishly, he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I didn't…"

"Oh, for the love of…! Give me that."

"Hey…!"

Ignoring his protests, the princess snatched a sword from the boy's side and slashed at a metal grate on the wall. It shot into the air with a loud clatter, barely missing Cid's head in its flight.

"_G'damn it, girl! Are ya tryin' t' kill me?!_" he shouted in retort to the "attack".

"I'm trying to keep us alive a little longer, thank you very much," the girl replied evenly, already running for the newly made opening. "Quickly, down the garbage chute!"

And without waiting for a word of protest, she dived headfirst down the hole and slid out of sight. As the three looked on in amazement, Cloud approached the opening warily, then quickly took a step back.

"Oh, _hell_ no," he commented rather eloquently.

"What are ya doin'? Get in there!" Cid called back.

"But Captain, I don't think I like what's down there-"

"I don't g'damn _care_ what ya smellin', ya spike-headed pansy! Get ya ass in there and don't worry 'bout it!" And with that, the captain gave the SOLDIER a sharp kick and sent him tumbling down the chute. "_Wonderful_ girl…! If I had me a daughter like that, I'd either try to kill 'her, or be g'damn proud o' 'er…! Your turn, kid! Hurry up and get in there!"

Nodding in acknowledgment, the boy ducked his head and jumped down the hole. With a final glance back at the steadily approaching troops, Cid sought out for anything he could to stall them a little longer. Finally, giving up on anything substantial, he ripping off a miscellaneous tool and hurled it in their direction. As he expected, the bluff worked – the troops immediately ducked for cover from the "bomb" that clunked down the corridor toward them. With a final whoop, the pilot slid down the garbage chute after the rest of his group.

And then he tumbled out the other end, landing with a wet "splat" into a pile of assorted debris and muck. About him, the others were wallowing about brackish water, Cloud already in front of a small hatchway and struggling to get it open.

"… bloody _wonderful_ idea to come down the garbage chute, eh? Bloody incredible _smell_, too," Cid grumbled sarcastically as he struggled to his feet. Pulling one of the swords out, he aimed at the hatchway. "Well, we're gettin' outta 'ere. Back up, Spike."

"No! _Wait_!"

Too late, the sword was already flying for the hatch with the force of a launched harpoon. There was a loud "clang", and everyone dove for cover in time to escape losing their heads and other vital body parts to the weapon ricocheting over the too-small space they were trapped in.

"I already tried it," Cloud supplied helpfully. "It's magnetically sealed."

"What were you thinking, anyway?!" Kairi cried out in alarm. "At the rate you're going, you'll get us all killed!"

"Well, _excuse me, princess,_" Cid retorted in an ugly tone. "Look, I had everythin' under control until ya led us down 'ere. Y'know, it ain't gonna take 'em long to figure out what happened to us."

"Well, you had a fine way of showing it," the princess answered. "And it could be worse…"

They were promptly interrupted by a strange, inhuman moan that was most definitely neither human nor mechanical, freezing everyone in their places.

"… ya jus' had to say it, didn't ya?" Cid grumbled.

"There's something down here!" Cloud called urgently, his eyes not leaving the murky water he wallowed in for a second.

"Why didn't ya say so before?!"

"I _did_ say so before!"

"What's that?!" Sora cried out, pointing at some floating garbage.

"What's what?!"

The moaning continued for a while longer. Then, quite suddenly, a long ghostly tentacle shot out of the water and wrapped its length over Cloud's torso.

"_SPIKE!_" Cid hollered, running forward just as the SOLDIER disappeared into the murky depths. "_Shit_! Spike, where are ya?! Answer me!"

A second later, Cloud burst from the muck with a strangled curse, wrestling with the tentacle that refused to leave go. "GET IT OFF ME!" he shrieked in terror. "_GET IT OFF ME!!_"

"Kid!" Cid barked at Sora, knocking him out of his shock. "Stop starin' and start whackin'!"

"Where?!" the boy yelped, already drawing out one of his blades.

"_Anywhere!_"

Before either could strike, Cloud cried out again and was tugged under once more. There was a white froth of bubbles on the surface as the struggle went on, slowly and steadily decreasing until at last there was nothing.

"… Shit…!" Cid growled, whacking at the water's surface with his remaining sword over and over again. "Shit! _Shit!_ _SHIT!_"

The sword clanged hard against a metal wall. Unexpectedly, it hummed back at him. The hum started to grow in volume, steadily becoming a low drone as it gained his momentary attention. The creature's moans had stopped, and suddenly Cloud broke through the surface again, coughing and spluttering.

"Cloud!" Sora cried out, scrambling to help him out. "What happened?!"

"… Don't know," the SOLDIER answered between spits of mud water. "Giant… Sea Neon… don't know why it just let me go and- … _oh no…_"

The boy paused. "… What? What is it now?"

"I'll tell you what now – we're all in for it this time," Cloud growled, hurriedly grabbing Sora and ushering him up to "higher ground". "There's only one thing I can think of that would need machines down here."

"Do I want to know…?" the boy asked fearfully, his eyes darting wildly about their surroundings.

"You don't. But you're about to, anyway."

"… I think the wall just moved." And then there was a great rumble, and sure enough an entire pile of garbage _lurched_ forward, raising a panicked cry: "_It's moving! It's moving!_"

"Don't jus' stand there!" Cid hollered urgently, already hefting up the longest beam of tarnished metal he could find. "We gotta brace it or somethin'! _C'mon_!"

Following the pilot's lead, the rest of them scrambled for poles and beams, anything they could get between the steadily narrowing gap. Yet, the act itself did little to buy them time, each brace slowly but surely snapping or bending under the powerful crushing force.

"Sora!" Cloud called from the task of hefting up another support. "Get those two on the line! Hurry!"

At once, the boy scrambled for the communicator. It was wet from the water, but still functional, crackling in his hand as he activated it. "Yuffie! Leon! Come in, quickly! … _come on, where are you guys…?!_"

* * *

It took the pair a while to come upon an unmanned service panel, barely out of sight from the patrols. Crouching against the wall, Leon wasted no time in plugging in once more and gaining access to the system.

"They can't be captured already! Oh, please don't let them be captured already…!" Yuffie whined beside him, fidgeting restlessly as she kept a look out. "… Can't you work that thing any faster?"

Leon proceeded to whistle and whirr something in retort, earning an offended yelp from the Ninja as she turned on him.

"Well, screw you, too!"

And then the SeeD turned slightly, his eyes meeting hers, and he beeped a comment. The Ninja promptly jumped in shocked realization.

"The communicator, of course! I forgot to turn it back on!" It activated with a click and a whine. "… Boss? Are you there?"

"_**YUFFIE!**_" Sora screamed back at her. Despite its muffled quality, its volume was enough to make the Ninja backpedal and check her surroundings for anyone who might have heard.

"Sorry, boss, we had a little trouble-"

"**No time for that!**" he interrupted her quickly in a burst of static. "**Just shut down all the garbage mashers in the detention level, will you?! **_**Hurry**_**!**"

Overhearing the conversation, Leon was already getting to work, his thin metallic claw turning as he maneuvered through the system.

* * *

"Shut down all the garbage mashers in the detention level!" Sora repeated loudly, trying to make himself heard over the increasing drone of the mechanisms accompanied by the crushing and shattering of the debris about them. "_Can you hear me?! Shut them all down!_"

With a yelp, Kairi nearly sank into the garbage before Cid grabbed her and pulled her out again.

"Come on, missy, get on top of it," he urged, tugging her the extra bit more before pushing at her shoulders. "_Climb_, honey. Ya gonna make it."

"I'm trying…!" she answered, struggling to gain purchase against the slippery walls.

With a grumble, Cid nudged her even higher up. "One thing's for sure: we're all gonna be helluva lot thinner…!"

* * *

"Shut them all down!" Yuffie hurried the SeeD on. "Quickly, _quickly_!" At Leon's half-hearted retort, she fired back, "No, I _don't_ think this is easy! Just hurry, will you?!"

This time, the SeeD did not attempt to reply as he focused entirely on working the system in his favor. Then, with a final spin of his claw…

There was silence, save for the endless white noise. And then there was another burst of static as loud, incredible hollers sounded from the communicator.

Crying out in dismay, Yuffie held her head in agony. "Listen to them!" she wailed. "We're too late! They're _dying_, Leon!"

"**No, no, we're okay!**" Sora called hurriedly over what was revealed to be whoops of immense, joyous relief. "**You made it just in time! We're all okay!**"

"… Oh," Yuffie commented. Then, realizing exactly what she was hearing, "Oh! _Oh, thank heavens! I can nip off and die in peace now!_"

"**Hey!**" the boy called again, "**… Hey, open the pressure maintenance hatch on unit number… Where are we?**"

"**Three-two-six-eight-two-seven!**" Cloud could be heard shouting from somewhere in the background.

"Three-two-six-eight-two-seven," Yuffie repeated, earning a confirming beep from Leon as he got to work again. "Hang tight, boss. We're on it."

* * *

Moments later, the bedraggled group exited their tight confines and found refuge in a dusty, momentarily empty hallway. Quick to shed themselves of their disguises, Sora, Cid and Cloud dumped the reeking jumpsuits and helmets back the way they had come before letting the door shut. The old pilot kept one of the swords long enough to force open the doorway to what promised to be an ammunition cache.

"We're in luck, kiddies," he announced a moment later. Sure enough, he stepped back out and laid an armful of Sniper crossbows on the floor. "These should give us the advantage against melee. Just, whatever ya do, try t' be-"

He was interrupted right away by a terrified, high-pitched curse as Cloud bolted from his place near the hatch and shot across the hallway. Slithering around the metallic barrier, the giant Sea Neon's tentacle was moving, creeping about in search of its escaped victim. With an irritated snort, Cid lifted one of the crossbows and took aim.

The princess jumped to her feet in alarm. "No, wait! They'll hear-!"

Too late, a blast shot into the chamber, driving the Sea Neon back while echoing down the once silent hallway. Barely satisfied, Cid kicked the hatch shut once more before turning to where Cloud had sought cover.

"What's the matter with ya, huh?" he goaded, stepping toward his first mate. "C'mere, ya big coward!"

"_Don't 'coward' me!_" Cloud fired back, though his voice was still a little pitched from fear. "_You try having a giant tentacle grab and probe at you for a change!_"

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Kairi spoke up from behind them, earning a glare from the captain.

"Well, you're g'damn welcome for the rescue, _your Highness,_" Cid retorted as he chucked a crossbow at the SOLDIER's head.

"Rescue?" she repeated incredulously. "So far, you got us found out right away, had us cornered, nearly killed us all with a flying blade, and just now you came pretty close to giving our position away! _Again_!"

"Ya watch ya tone with me, young lady," he growled.

"I'd apologize, but you haven't really done much to earn my respect," she countered evenly. Picking up another crossbow for herself, she stalked on ahead. "… Will somebody get this whimpering chocobo out of the doorway?"

Watching Cid's face slowly mottle with rage, Sora cringed as he attempted to pacify the older man. "Maybe you could… uh… let it go? It's been a long day."

"Seriously, kid? Shut up," Cid answered bluntly, shoving him the last crossbow remaining before whacking Cloud over the head. "Ain't no reward's worth this…!"

* * *

Meanwhile, far from the commotion, the doors to one of the seven power trenches slid open. A detachment of Samurais marched across the walkway, halting just in front of the giant tractor beam that dominated the area. The leader singled out a pair of Samurais and directed them to take their stations.

"Secure the area until the alert is canceled," it ordered. "Regular reports."

"Yes, sir," both answered.

The rest of the detachment moved on, leaving the area and heading for the next. Left behind, the pair of Samurais looked about their surroundings with their swords resting in their scabbards.

"… Do you know what's going on?"

"Maybe it's another drill… Wait, you hear that?"

One of the two looked back out into the corridor, one of its swords partially drawn.

"It's probably nothing," its counterpart spoke up.

"All the same, we should check it out," the first reasoned, waving a gloved hand. "Come on."

Soon, the clatter of their footsteps faded away. Emerging from the shadows, Master Ven was unhurried in making his way toward the tractor beam. Locating the controls under the bright pillar of blue, he carefully made several adjustments to the computer terminal. With a final tweak, the lights on the panel changed their color, and then faded away as the device shut down. The deed done, the shaman slipped back down the corridor toward the main hallway.

* * *

Running down the hallway, the group came to a stop before a bay window. Looking down, they could see the _Sierra_ with a group of seven, comprised of both Samurais and Snipers, milling about and awaiting their arrival.

"… Well, there's a problem," Cid grumbled.

"You came in that thing?" Kairi asked, her expression a mix of awe and skepticism. "You're a braver man than I thought."

"Thanks," the pilot answered. "That thing's what ya gonna ride outta 'ere in."

Behind them, Sora pulled out the communicator again and activated it. "Yuffie, Leon, where are you now?"

"**In the main hangar, boss,**" Yuffie answered for both herself and her companion, "**just across from the ship.**"

"We're right above you. Get ready to go."

"**Gotcha. See you then.**"

With a final click, Sora put the communicator away and followed Cid's lead, starting down the hallway once more, rounding a corner, and running straight into twenty Samurais. Equally taken by surprise, both groups stopped in their tracks, at a sudden loss for what to do. Then Cid raised his crossbow and opened fire on them. Following his lead, Cloud opened fire as well, driving the Samurais back down the corridor they had come from.

"Ya two! Git to the ship!" Cid hollered before giving chase to the escaping Samurais, Cloud running after his captain to provide some assistance.

"Where are you going! Come back!" Sora cried out in protest, but Cid had already rounded a corner and was out of earshot.

"He certainly has courage," Kairi commented honestly, already leading the way toward the main hangar. Looking back worriedly, Sora remained a step behind.

"But what if he gets himself killed?!"

The Samurais continued to run, disappearing down the corridor. Brandishing the crossbow, Cid ran right after them while yelling some strange sort of battle cry. Cloud halted his steps, watching the mad pilot disappear as well. Five seconds later, the man reappeared screaming and running for his life as he was pursued by both the twenty Samurais and an additional twenty Snipers.

"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" he was chanting now. "_Back to the g'damn ship!_ Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap…!"

Shaking his head in exasperation, the SOLDIER guarded his captain's back until he caught up, the two fleeing the way they had come and heading back toward the hangar.

"Close the blast doors!" one of the Samurais called into its communicator, "Close the blast doors!"

Almost at once, the doors just ahead started to draw close. Picking up an extra burst of speed, Cloud and Cid hopped through the narrowing opening, barely making it to the other side as the barrier finished sealing, cutting off their pursuers in a most ironic fashion.

"… Open the blast doors…!" the same Samurai called urgently, forced into a halt with the rest of its unit. "Open the blast doors! … Don't you 'make up your mind' me, they're getting away!"

* * *

Remaining unhindered, Master Ven continued on his way through the narrow passages leading toward the hangar. He was nearly where the _Sierra_ was waiting when he slowed to a halt. Turning his attention to the shadows, he stretched out his hand. Fresh Breeze answered his silent call at once, materializing solidly in his grip.

"Is that necessary?" a voice from those shadows called out. "Perhaps I might get the wrong idea."

"We both know what you want, old friend," Master Ven answered softly, turning to greet the other properly.

Stepping from the shadows, Ansem was already armed. In his hand was a thin black Keyblade with a maroon hilt and a thin gold rainguard, skeletal in its design as Sora's had been. Yet, unlike Sora's, its teeth formed the partial outline of a heart, slanting inward to end in razor sharp edges.

"Hello, Ventus," Ansem greeted in a malicious tone. "It has been a while."

"That it has, Xehanort," Master Ven replied. Then, after a pause, "… or is it? Your appearance is very much different from what I recall, and you have forgone your original Keyblade entirely for this… wretched thing."

Ansem paused as well, shuddering as he took in a deep breath. With a dramatic sigh, he turned his head lazily to look upon the other. "Such a nostalgic feeling," he drawled. "I have been waiting for you, Ventus. To meet again, at long last…"

Both weapons moved, each man assuming a different attacking stance. Master Ven held Fresh Breeze in a reverse grip, its length level with his arm. Ansem held his dark Keyblade high, in a more offensive, taunting pose.

"When we last fought, you claimed I was unworthy to be a Master," Ansem continued. "Yet now, things are different."

"You have mastered nothing," Master Ven replied. "All you have done is fallen further into your slavery to the Darkness."

"You would think so…"

The two Keyblade wielders remained perfectly still for a few moments longer, each man sizing the other up and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. In the end, both seemed to move at the same time, though Ansem was just a little faster. Yet, Master Ven had the better defense, granting him a stronger blow to deflect the deadly slash aimed at his throat. Another of the wielder's blows was blocked, then countered. As they clashed again and again, Master Ven circled around Ansem, changing their positions such that he was the one with his back to the hangar.

"… I am disappointed," Ansem spoke suddenly. "Your years in hiding have made you decadent. You have grown weaker, my friend."

"Even so, this is not a fight you can win, Xehanort," Master Ven answered. "With all that you have seen and done, you know _exactly_ what will happen if you strike me down now."

"We shall see."

And in a spray of sparks, the blades clashed again.

* * *

In a different passageway, Sora and Kairi were pressed against the wall as they peered out at the _Sierra_. With the ship guarded as it was, going out there would be suicide. A few moments later, Cid and Cloud joined them.

"What kept you?"

"Y'know, the usual fans," Cid answered sarcastically, also staring at the waiting troops. "Damn, didn't we just leave this party…?"

Just then, there was a commotion just out of their line of sight. Whatever it was, it was drawing the Samurais' and Snipers' attention, luring them away from their posts and leaving the _Sierra_ unguarded.

"What's going on?"

"Who cares? Now's our chance!" And with a good whack, Cid shoved Sora forward a step and urged the group out of hiding. "Go, go, _go!_"

As they made a dash for the _Sierra_, Sora noticed Leon and Yuffie – both already out of their disguises and each armed with their stolen weapons – running their way as well. The Ninja was the first one up the ramp with Leon remaining on guard at the foot of the gang plank; his eyes were homed in on his princess as his hand waved mindlessly, beckoning the others to hurry up. Then the boy turned to look the other way, and he stumbled to an abrupt stop.

"… Master Ven…?!"

Across from the hangar, the Snipers were already taking aim as the Samurais moved forward, closing in on the shaman who was attacking their lord. Realizing he was surrounded, Master Ven slowed his attacks, keeping on the defensive as he watched his surroundings. His eyes met with the boy's for a fleeting moment, and a peaceful smile found its way to his lips.

_It is time. The rest, I will leave to you, now…_

"You are off guard, Ventus," Ansem called, his Keyblade pointed straight at the shaman's exposed throat. "I am inclined to believe that you have finally given up your fight."

Returning his gaze to the man before him – the man who had turned to the Darkness and lost his way ever since – Master Ven made no move to defend himself. Instead, his eyes were warm, regarding the lost one before him with a wise, understanding patience.

"It is not giving up, Xehanort," he spoke softly, "but submitting to what must be done."

Ansem was silent, but dark power gathered at the tip of his Keyblade. He aimed lower, directing the energy toward a different target. Before every pair of watching eyes, the energy exploded in a ball of obsidian and indigo, blasting in a thin line of shadow that stabbed Master Ven cleanly through his chest.

"_NO!!_"

Surprised, Ansem turned his gaze to where the boy remained rooted to the spot. It was a strangely familiar face, aged by time, and the one who had once been brimming with innocence had just lost another shard of it to this sudden, violent attack against the fallen shaman. Remembering Master Ven, Ansem looked back down to where the other had been struck down – there was no body, only an old cloak of earthen tones that was untouched by the Darkness' power.

Already, the Snipers had turned as well, opening fire on the escaping group as the Samurais surged forward once more. Sora's eyes were wide with disbelief, but swiftly narrowed into anger as he raised his crossbow and returned every shot. Closer to the gang plank, Leon and Cloud lingered, firing upon their attackers as well.

"Come on!" Cloud called. "Hurry up!"

Ignoring the call, Sora continued to fire upon the approaching fighters, squeezing the trigger over and over again as each being fell.

"It's too late, Sora! We have to get out of here while we still can!"

The boy refused to listen, his attacks fueled by blind rage as he fired shot after shot. He could see Ansem approaching – Ansem who had killed Riku, Ansem who had just killed Master Ven – and he welcomed the approach, hoping for the man to just come within his range…

_**Sora.**_

The boy blinked, returning to his senses. _Master Ven?!_

_**Run, boy.**_

A hand was on his shoulder, and for a second he thought it was his mentor, but when he turned he saw instead the SeeD behind him. Leon aimed a shot at the control panel far across the hangar. One solid blast disintegrated it in a shower of sparks and the blast doors closed, shutting Ansem and the other troops out of the docking bay. Another shot took out one more Samurai before the SeeD slapped Sora hard on his back, just about shoving him up the gang plank urgently.

Ducking from more enemy fire, both SeeD and SOLDIER hurried into the safety of the _Sierra_, the first mate already clambering up the ladder and returning to his captain's side. Having already started up the systems, Cid pulled on the controls and the ship began to move. The dull thud of energy bolts bounced off the _Sierra_'s hull as Cloud took a seat and adjusted the controls.

"Sure hope he got that tractor beam outta commission, or this is gonna be one really short trip," Cid muttered around a new cigarette clenched between his teeth. "… Okay, _hit it!_"

"Aye, Captain!"

One more dial was spun into place, one more switch flipped. The _Sierra_ shuddered, lifting completely from its position. With a last, spectacular turn, the vessel zipped from the docking bay and left the MCP far behind.

* * *

Once they were clear, Leon and Yuffie wasted no time in reuniting with their princess. While the Ninja was vocal enough to make up for the both of them in fussing over Kairi's disheveled state, there was not a whole lot she could do besides talk, anyway – not with Leon enveloping the girl in a possessive embrace and clinging to her like his life depended on it. Understanding their individual needs to take comfort in the knowledge of her safety, the princess put up with their overly eager administrations until they were ready to regain their composures.

Unsurprisingly, Yuffie was the first to recover, and the Ninja sat back to watch her counterpart with some amusement before commenting lightly, "Y'know, Lee, you can put her down now."

Ignoring the comment, Leon continued to hug his princess with near desperation. It seemed an impulsive, childish act on the SeeD's part, but Kairi had known him for as long as she could remember, and she quickly caught on to what thoughts were plaguing the SeeD's mind. Slowly, carefully, she wrapped her arms about Leon's neck and returned the hug.

"No, Leon. You _did not_ abandon me," she insisted. "You were following my orders as was expected. In fact, not only did you succeed in relaying my message to Lord Ventus and keeping the plans safe, you also managed to find me again. I could not ask anything more from you."

His conscience eased, Leon allowed himself to relax a little, the tension sliding from his rigid frame as he finally slackened his hold. Still, he could not help but express his opinion over how everything had come about.

"… There was no other choice," she answered as gently as she could. "Those plans that you and Yuffie carry are far too important. If either of you were lost…" she paused, gaining a more emotional tone to her words, "… then all that was sacrificed… would be for nothing."

That was when Leon pulled away, just enough to look the girl in the eye. At first the princess would not meet his gaze, not until his patience won out.

"… They destroyed the Destiny Islands," she confided in him at last, her arms instinctively clutching one another defensively. "… I can't let that happen again… not to another world…"

There was a barely stifled gasp from Yuffie at the somber declaration. Leon remained silent, but this time he drew the princess into a far gentler, more soothing embrace; he had not hugged her in such a manner since she was knee-high and suffered from nightmares despite his constant vigilance. It was a strangely nostalgic feeling for the both of them, and it comforted the girl now as much as it had then.

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud clamor over their heads. Noisily, Cloud slid down the ladder and landed with a loud impact of heavy soles against a metallic floor. "Hate to break this up," he started, "but we're not out of the woods yet…!"

That was when they heard it: the succession of thumps that were gunfire bouncing off the _Sierra_'s deflector shields.

"I need some help with the main guns. Are you coming?"

Leon hesitated, torn between jumping into the action right away and ensuring the welfare of his two immediate charges: the princess he had come too close to losing, and the boy who had enabled him to get her back. Following the loss of Master Ven that they had been forced to witness, Sora had not moved from his seat since the _Sierra_'s escape and appeared a lot more listless than usual. As Leon looked from one teen to the other, there was a solid whack at his shoulder. He turned to find Yuffie grinning at him in reassurance.

"Go knock 'em dead, Lee-boy," she urged. "You can count on me to hold the fort!"

"_Ain't nobody gonna git 'em motherfather Spiders off me motherfather tail already?!_" Cid hollered in a decidedly angry fit. Rather than fuel the flames any further, SOLDIER and SeeD were up and running for the _Sierra_'s main guns at once.

"You take the bottom, and I'll take the top," Cloud directed. Then he added playfully, "We can always switch places next time."

Taking it in stride, Leon huffed in a good-natured manner before sliding down the ladder and taking up position in the lower gun port cockpit. No sooner had he tugged on a communication headset when one of the four six-"armed" Organization's attacking ships lit on by across his immediate line of sight.

"**You all set?**" Cloud called over the intercom. "**Stay sharp, now. Away we go…!**"

* * *

Sora's reverie was interrupted when the seat cushion shifted beneath him. Turning his head, he looked up to find someone sitting beside him.

"Hey, princess," he greeted.

"Kairi's fine," she answered. "How are you holding up?"

"… I'm fine," he admitted at last, resuming his slouch over the table with his chin resting atop his hands. "It's just that… I can't believe he's gone."

"There wasn't anything you could have done-"

"No, you don't get it. It's like he's still here," Sora insisted, his countenance revealing depression at his own behavior. "When we were in the hangar… I heard him tell me to run. I swear, it was his voice…!"

"Sora…"

"I'm _not_ crazy!" the boy protested with equal insistence. "I _know_ it was him."

The skeptical look on Yuffie's face declared her thoughts otherwise. It did not last long, however, as a particularly well-placed shot shook the _Sierra_ violently.

"Oi!" Cid barked from the cockpit. "If ya kids wanna help out, I ain't complainin'!"

Exchanging a glance, Sora and Kairi came to a mutual decision – if either of them was going to mull any further, they would have to keep themselves alive long enough to do it. Rising from their seats, the pair of teens hurried to the ladder with Yuffie already two steps ahead of them.

"What do you need, Cap?" the Ninja called as she reached the deck.

"One of ya keep an eye on the readout, another keep an eye on the Spiders," Cid relayed directions at once, his hands busy with constantly adjusting the speed controls. "And I'll need someone to run the hold in case we need emergency repairs."

"Dibs on the running!" Yuffie declared at once. In a flash, she zipped back down the ladder, and her boots clattered across the deck as she scampered off a little too eagerly. Left to the remaining duties, Sora and Kairi made themselves relatively comfortable as each one took up a task.

"… Here they come!"

Sure enough, two Spiders appeared in view, a line of energy shots raining down upon the _Sierra_ as they swooped toward the ship.

"We're 'bout to take some serious damage 'ere!" Cid reported into the intercom. "What are ya punks doin'?!"

"**We're doing what we can here!**" Cloud replied in a strained voice. "**They're coming in too fast!**"

The other two Spiders streaked on by as well, pelting more shots at the _Sierra_. The ship shuddered again as one shot got a little too close to the cockpit.

"We've lost lateral controls!" Kairi called from her position.

"Don't worry, princess, she'll hold together," Cid murmured distractedly. Right then, another bolt hit the control panel, causing it to blow out in a shower of sparks. "… Ya hear me, baby? Hold together…!"

"… **Hey Cid, guess what?**" Yuffie called. "**Your ship is on fire.**"

"_What do you mean my g'damn ship is on fire?!_" he sputtered heatedly.

"**I mean the panel's in smoke and flames-**" there was a loud hiss of static. "**-and not anymore…!**"

"… ya enjoyin' this, ain't ya?"

Yuffie's only answer was to laugh.

Darting and weaving, the more agile Spiders continued to assault the ship over and over. Eventually, one of them was persistent enough to make a mistake, and wound up flying right into Cloud's line of fire. As the shots connected, the small enemy ship exploded into fiery dust.

"_Yes!_" Cloud cheered. Seconds later, he heard a whistled whoop of excitement as Leon nailed one as well. "Atta boy! Don't get cocky yet, though…!"

"**There's still two of them out there!**" Sora reported over the intercom.

"I see 'em," the SOLDIER answered, already lining the gun for another round of fire. This time he missed, but he was already preparing for another try.

Watching from their respective projected target screens, each one spotted an individual Spider coming at them from a different angle. One fighter zipped pass Cloud's port, and the SOLDIER swiveled in his chair as he followed it with blasts of fire. In the port under him, Leon was reacting in a like manner to his own target, the glow of his target screen lighting his face. Again, it was a matter of waiting for the Spiders to lose patience, to make a mistake by charging right at them.

Sure enough, another exploded into a cloud of smoke and debris from Leon's persistent shots. The last took a little longer, managing to scrape the _Sierra_'s hull as it pelted boldly at the ship in a mad dash. Cloud paused in his fire, waiting as the ship dared to come just about close enough… then he opened on it once again, and it too disintegrated in a fiery white shower of burning fragments.

It was Cid's turn to whoop loudly into the intercom. "**That's it, boys! **_**We did it!**_" in the background, both Cloud and Leon could hear the others cheering in delight as well. It felt so good to win the right to live a little longer. "**Hang tight, kiddies! We're outta here!**"

Leaving the smoldering remnants of the enemy fighters behind, the _Sierra_ picked up speed and shot deeper into space.

* * *

Back onboard the MCP, Ansem watched from the main deck as the _Sierra_ disappeared from his ship's sights. Unbothered, the man folded his arms over his chest and simply waited.

"… Lord Ansem," one of the crew members reported a few moments later. "We're picking up a strong signal from the homing beacon."

"Follow them, then. They will not escape me this time."

* * *

Once they were back in the clear, the ship slowed to a near halt. Now, drifting in space, it was almost silent, save for a broadcast that was transmitted over and over again. With Cloud down in the hold to check on the ship's damages, Kairi had momentarily taken a seat next to the captain, and between them was Leon. As the SeeD remained preoccupied with the message broadcast, Cid sat back with a deep sigh of great satisfaction.

"Not a bad bit of rescuin', eh?" he declared smugly. "Y'know, sometimes I even amaze myself."

"… I can't help but think they let us go," Kairi answered. "It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

Taking mild offense, Cid turned his attention to her. "Missy, we just barely kept our asses. Ya callin' _that_ easy?"

"Rightfully speaking, we should be dead," she stated the blunt, harsh truth. "… do you think they're tracking us?"

This time, the captain scoffed before he replied confidently, "Not _this_ ship, sweetheart."

The princess was ready to argue, but silently let it go. Instead, she struggled with her thoughts a little longer before finally speaking again: "About what happened earlier… I want to apologize to you, Captain."

"Yeah…?"

"My attitude toward you was unjustified – I was rude to you when I should have been grateful for the rescue. I may have been upset with all that had happened, but it was wrong of me to take my anger out on yourself and your crew."

Cid was silent, listening to what she had to say. Then, with a huff, he turned to her. "I'd say ya gotta work on ya tact, princess. But still, it takes guts to 'fess up proper, and I respect that."

"Thank you, Captain," Kairi replied. "And thank you, as well, for taking care of Leon and Yuffie."

"… What's he doin', by the way? Phonin' home?"

"Pretty close," she answered with a humoring smile. "Radiant Garden is actually a mobile base – it is always changing its location. The only ones who know its specific location are the ones who man it twenty-four-seven, and even I cannot know for sure where it might be beyond the set rendezvous point. It's a safeguard, to prevent us from compromising our stronghold regardless of circumstance. Even in my absence, Leon knows the password to gain a scout's attention."

"… Y'know, I'm curious now," Cid spoke up again. "What's so bleedin' important with what he's carryin', anyway?"

"Leon and Yuffie each carry half of a sequence of encrypted data," the princess explained. "Once the sequence is merged and decrypted, it will reveal the technical readouts of the MCP."

The pilot sat up at once, his interest fully gained. "Ya don't mean that g'damn monster of a ship we just hightailed it from…?"

Kairi nodded, continuing, "The data has not been analyzed yet, but I'm hoping we can find a weakness in the MCP's structure, anything that can help us take it down once and for all."

The intercom buzzed, a reply to the message Leon had been sending. A brief exchange in binary took place, and a small white Gummi Ship seemed to appear out of nowhere. Signaling for the _Sierra_ to follow, it started away.

"… This is it," the princess declared, as Cid adjusted the controls. Then, something else occurred to her. "… Will you be staying on after the drop off?"

"I ain't gonna lie to ya, sweetheart," the pilot answered gruffly. "I ain't doin' this for ya revolution. I ain't even doin' this cos' of the 'right thing to do' shit. I'm doin' this for the money, and ya friend promised me a lotta it. I'm gonna dump ya, take what's comin' t' me, and then me and my boy are outta 'ere."

Kairi looked away, unable to hide her disappointment. "… I understand. Once we land, I'll personally see to it that you are fully compensated."

"… No hard feelings, y'know? I ain't in good terms with the Organization either, so ya secret's safe with me."

"It's alright. Really," Kairi insisted. "It is enough that you have helped us come this far."

No longer needed to man his post, Leon had disengaged from the _Sierra_'s control panel and straightened. With a hand to his princess' shoulder, he guided her back down to the lounge area, to prepare for their return to Radiant Garden. Moments after they had left, Sora clambered up in their stead and sat down.

"Cloud asked me to tell you," he relayed his message, "the damage isn't too bad. Once we land, he can get it all fixed pretty quickly."

The pilot grunted in acknowledgment.

"… I heard you're not staying."

"Course I ain't, kid," Cid answered. "Didn't ya know that when ya friend hired me?"

"I kinda hoped you'd change your mind…"

"Ain't happenin'." The captain drifted off, staring after the tail end of the white ship he was following. "… She's a good girl, that princess. Got a good head on 'er shoulders. It's almost a shame…"

"You don't believe the rebels can win," Sora stated.

"Against the Organization? Course not," Cid replied flatly. "Sure, it'd be nice if they did, but it just ain't gonna happen, y'know?"

"… No," Sora answered. "No, I don't."

No more was said between them. Eventually, the tension grew to an awkward level, and Sora exited the cockpit as well, leaving the captain alone to his thoughts for the rest of the trip.


End file.
